Satyrium cristatum var. longilabiatum

Maroon streaks upon a white background represents one of the floral colour schemes of Satyrium cristatum. The pale flower segments may also be faintly tinged green, pink or cream with added markings red or brown. The perianth not forming a shallow sac beneath the column in picture indicates that this plant is S. cristatum var. longilabiatum.

The densely flowered, cylindrical spike may bear up to 85 flowers and reach a length of 30 cm. The lip forms a bonnet or hood over the column, its tip reflexed. The longer segments spreading sideways below the flower centre are the lateral sepals, the median or odd sepal smaller and just visible between the forward protruding (porrect) lateral petals.

The fact that there are two spurs growing from the back of each flower lip is hard to see in most of the flowers in picture. These spurs look fairly long here, but still shorter than the ovary; longer spurs characterise var. longilabiatum. The long, tapering bracts exceeding the flowers are green on this plant.

Flowering happens in summer and early autumn (Pooley, 1998; Manning, 2009; www.africanorchids.dk).