Satyrium cristatum var. longilabiatum

Satyrium cristatum is a slender terrestrial orchid, a perennial herb growing its annual above-ground parts to heights around 14 cm to 55 cm from a subterranean tuber.

Two or three basal leaves, oblong to ovate in shape are grown. They are spreading to erect, hairless and overlapping each other, become up to 16 cm by 5 cm in size. In addition, few small, also sheathing stem leaves occur below the flower spike.

The species distribution is widespread across the eastern and northern parts of South Africa. S. cristatum var. longilabiatum overlaps with the more widespread S. cristatum var. cristatum in nature, but does not occur in the Free State, North West and parts of the Eastern Cape. These plants also grow in some neighbouring countries, including Angola.

Var. longilabiatum has longer spurs (12 mm vs. 3 mm to 7 mm), a bigger lip opening or flower mouth, the fusing of its sepals and petals with the lip is less (a third of the length vs. half) and no shallow sac is formed by the segments below the column (as happens in var. cristatum) (Pooley, 1998; Manning, 2009; www.africanorchids.dk).