Eulophia parvilabris

Eulophia parvilabris is a deciduous perennial, a robust ground orchid growing to 85 cm in height.

Its large, pleated leaves, fully developed at flowering, sheathe at the base and taper to acute tips. They become about 60 cm long, 5,5 cm wide. Spent flowers dangle typically below the open ones in older spikes.

The plant distribution is scattered in the east of the country, from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo, as well as in Lesotho, Swaziland and maybe further. The habitat is marshy or seasonally moist grassland, often on steep slopes. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Pooley, 1998; iSpot; www.redlist.sanbi.org).