Satyrium erectum flowers

The fragrant flowers of this orchid, the pienk-trewwa, appear in shades of pink and some white patches with variable small dark purple markings on especially the middle three of the five lower tepals.

The tepals are oblong with rounded tips that recurve slightly. The lip or upper inner (dorsal) tepal is large, bulging in hooded fashion over the anther cap where the stigmatic surface and pollinia, reproductive organs, are situated.

The two slender, cone-shaped, pink-tipped spurs at the back of the dorsal petal that characteristically curve downward, are worth noting. They are positioned on both sides of the ovary behind the corolla. This photo was taken in the Elandsberg Private Nature Reserve.

From 11 to 37 flowers may occur on one stem, interspersed with long, greenish, tapering bracts (Manning, 2009; www.pacificbulbcompany.com).