Orthochilus chloranthus flower

The greenish yellow flower of Orthochilus chloranthus has lance-shaped sepals with acute tips. The sepals become about 8 mm long. The lateral petals, shorter than the sepals and about as wide, are oval to oblong with obtuse tips, the margins curving in near the tips in the photo.

The lip is three-lobed, wedge-shaped at its base, becoming as long as the petals. The lateral lobes of the lip are small, nearly triangular and erect, the central one below broadly oval in shape and pointed. Four thickened lines are present on the lip below the crest of lip protrusions, to the mouth of the spur, positioned at the back of the lip. The spur is a small sac, short, thickish and curved. The column is half as long as the lip, dilated at its apex. The anther ends in an obtuse appendage.

The flowers of O. chloranthus are faintly fragrant. They appear in spring (www.africanorchids.dk).