Huttonaea pulchra flower

The Huttonaea pulchra flower is pale cream in colour, its sepals pale green. The pair of angular, diamond-shaped, lateral sepals is larger than the small dorsal one that is clawed, pointed and angled backwards.

The lateral petals protrude well above the flower centre, angled to the sides on long claws that are free. The petal blades are shallowly bowl-shaped or hooded, their fringes of thin fleshy lobes, curtain-like. These protrusions, shaped like fingers if it werent for their short branches, are about as long as the blades. In the photo one has to look carefully to see the purple spots on the white surfaces and fringe threads of the petals.

The lip below the column, rounded and flat to concave in shape, is similarly adorned by an elaborate white fringe of thin lobes. The anther in the column is ovate and obtusely pointed, the cells curved and diverging (Pooley, 1998; iSpot; www.africanorchids.dk).