Pterygodium catholicum flowers

The flowers of Pterygodium catholicum grow in a lax spike, from one to fourteen flowers per inflorescence. The spike becomes up to 14 cm long. Acutely tipped elliptic bracts grow from the base of each flower, erect and close to the ovary and usually slightly longer than it. The purple-tipped bract in picture is positioned beside its flower, not below it.

The large, cream to (sometimes) yellowish green petals are broad and concave, borne close to the dorsal sepal that is above them; the flower tilted slightly downwards. Behind the petals the pair of smaller green lateral sepals are boat-shaped.

The small lip, below in this resupinate flower, is triangular and flat, up to 3 mm long. There is a conspicuous, erect lip appendage growing from the lip base. This appendage with out-curving tip and toothed margins is positioned inside the rounded corolla cup. Flower size is about 2,5 cm by 1,5 cm.

The outer surfaces of buds at the top of the spike in picture are tinged pinkish red. A red discoloration often appears upon P. catholicum flowers as they age, possibly when pollination is done.

Flowering happens in spring, usually after fire. Specific populations complete their flowering in shorter periods within this season (Liltved and Johnson, 2012; Manning, 2009; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010).