Eulophia tuberculata

Eulophia tuberculata is a terrestrial orchid, a deciduous perennial growing annual above-ground parts from a moniliform rhizome. This means that the rhizome is string-like, parts of it bulging like beads on a necklace, connected by swollen tuberous internodes.

The plant is usually leafless when in bloom, although the beginnings of the leaves may already be present. The distichous leaves of the flowerless side-shoot are folded in along their midribs, thickly fleshy in texture and sometimes with maroon margins. Cauline (stem) leaves, decrease in size up the stem are also present and sheathing the stem, continuing as bracts below the flowers.

The flowers of E. tuberculata have two large lateral petals, bright pink on the inside (as in the photo), or reddish brown on some flowers; pale yellow on their outside surfaces. This specimen appears paler than commonly seen, the flowers tending to brown with some yellow, but much of what is visible here is inside petal surface. The petals and lip dominate in flower appearance, the sepals typically small.

The lip below has five rows of warts, nodules or tubercles, small raised objects in the bright yellow central surface. The middle row has the biggest tubercles.

The species distribution is widespread from the eastern parts of the Cape Floristic Region where the plant is found in the Langkloof near Haarlem in renosterveld and grassy fynbos of the Eastern Cape. There may be a break in the species distribution between this southern part and the plants presence in dry, rocky highveld grass of Gauteng and North West. Or it may not have been seen in some areas yet, as the distribution in tropical Africa from Angola and Botswana to DRC and Tanzania is widespread.

The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Liltved and Johnson, 2012; Lowrey and Wright, 1987; www.zimbabweflora.co.zw; www.redlist.sanbi.org).