Holothrix scopularia flowering in grassland

The brushy holothrix, as Holothrix scopularia is commonly known, gets its name from the dense inflorescence of many, thin corolla lobes. The flower spikes are seen in spring and summer in the elevated surrounds of the Drakensberg, the time when the grasslands are green and flourishing. The flowers, white here, may also be pink or dull yellow.

The scapes of these orchids are usually tall enough to be noticed above the grass on the rocky patches and outcrops where they commonly grow. Their prostrate leaves are, however, only visible at close range (Pooley, 1998; www.pacificbulbsociety.org).