Orthochilus welwitschii leaves

The pleated leaves of Orthochilus welwitschii shown here in a night photo are sword-shaped and stiffly erect. They become about 70 cm long and 2,3 cm wide, borne in a shoot next to the flower stem. The leaves sheathe each other at the base and taper to acutely pointed tips (Pooley, 1998; Manning, 2009).