Holothrix secunda flower spike

Holothrix secunda is one of the small ground orchids found on the dry slopes of the Biedouw Valley. It was photographed in September among tall scrub on a rocky hill. The plant becomes about 30 cm tall.

The spidery flowers in the long spike have green, hunched ovaries at the back, five thin lip lobes (part of the central petal) in the front pointing down (or sideways) and two lateral petals pointing up in a V-shape. Where a peep into the open flower mouth is offered, some brown-red anther parts are visible.

Some flowers in picture show their short, whitish spurs, curved and pointing back to the stem. The flowers have one spur each, in some flowers out of sight by being positioned on the other side of the ovary.

These plants have only two rounded leaves positioned flat on the ground (Liltved and Johnson, 2012; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; iNaturalist).