Huttonaea grandiflora flower fringes

Huttonaea grandiflora petals and lip face upwards here; only the lateral sepals turned to the camera, but all make most of flaunting their fringes. The ostentatious embellishments upon segment margins are white, apart from the lateral petals also parading some purple colouring.

At least some of the five Huttonaea species secrete oil in their flowers instead of nectar, bringing Rediviva bees, well-known oil collectors, into play in the pollination. The flower column appears very accessible, although pollinators are seldom to be denied.

The specific name, grandiflora, means that the flowers are larger than normal. "Normal" here probably means the typical flower size achieved in the (other four) small-flowered members of the genus.

Flowering happens late in summer and early in autumn (Pooley, 1998; Liltved and Johnson, 2012; www.africanorchids.dk).