Botanical name

Orthochilus aculeatus subsp. aculeatus

Family

Orchidaceae

Common Name

Aandblommetjie

Synonym (old name)

Eulophia aculeata subsp. aculeata
Orthochilus aculeatus subsp. aculeatus
Orthochilus aculeatus subsp. aculeatus
Orthochilus aculeatus subsp. aculeatus

Description

Slender to fairly robust geophyte up to 30cm. Leaves stiffly erect, pleated, partly to fully developed at flowering time, up to 600x17mm; inflorescence short and dense, 3-27 flowered; flowers nodding, dull ivory, white, greenish-white to greenish-pink, or dark reddish-purple; sepals and petals scarcely spreading, similar; lip is aculeate with slender papillae on the centre of the midlobe; spur absent.

Habitat

From near sea level to 2,200m in coastal belt of Cape Floral region and in sour grassland in the summer-rainfall region

Flower Date

November to January