Holothrix grandiflora (Sond.) Rchb.f. 1881 Photo by © D L Turner

Plant in situ Cape Province South Africa Photo by © Pieter Mier

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Large Flowered Holothrix

Flower Size .5 to 1" [1.25 to 2.5 cm]

Found in Cape Province of South Africa in semi arid areas within crevices amongst rocks as a small sized, cold growing terrestrial with 1 to 4, glabrous, orbicular, groud-hugging leaves that are often withered at blooming in the late summer and early fall on an erect, glabrous to only a few minute basel hairs, bracteate, [19 to 25 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence.

Similar to H schlechteriana but can be distinguished by its large plant, shorter spur in relation to the lip, longer petals, and the nearly glabrous scape, as well as a larger number [13 to 16] of relatively shorter lip lobes and the later bloom time which is in the late summer and early fall.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Schelpe, Linder and Hall 1982 photo fide; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 drawing fide;

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