Satyrium parviflorum flower

The devil orchid, as Satyrium parviflorum is commonly known, produces an erect flower stalk of up to 1 m annually from an underground tuber. A tuft of deciduous, broad, basal leaves is grown as well, but may not be present at bloomtime.

The spike of small pale yellow, green or brownish flowers appears in summer. The flower lip at the top forms a globular hood with a narrow entrance over two small white petals that are gummed to help distribute pollen during insect visits. A pair of narrow spurs are angled down from the back of the hood-shaped lip, next to the ovary. Parviflorum is the Latin for small flower.

The plant is common in the southern Cape, the Eastern Cape and northwards in the east of South Africa into tropical Africa from the coast to elevations of 2300 m (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998).