Habenaria epipactidea

Habenaria epipactidea, sometimes commonly called the lightning ghost orchid and known in Zulu as umabelebuca omkhulu, is a robust ground orchid that grows leaves and flowers annually from a perennial underground tuber. It has a thick, densely leaved stem reaching 50 cm in length. The stem leaves below the flowers clasp the stalk, tapering to acute tips.

The species distribution is widespread throughout the eastern parts of South Africa, occurring in all provinces apart from the Western Cape and the Northern Cape. It is also found in some neighbouring states. This plant was photographed in January near Balfour, Mpumalanga.

The habitat is open grassland, often in moist, even marshy places. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998; Lowrey and Wright, 1987; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).