Brownleea parviflora green and white

The inflorescence of Brownleea parviflora is densely flowered and long. Up to 60 flowers may be produced in one cylindrical flower spike.

The ascending floral bract subtending each flower attenuates in its narrow upper part, hairy and faintly red-spotted in the photo. This bract is longer than its flower.

Only some of the pairs of fleshy and ridged lateral sepals that hang down below the flowers show their tips; the others recurve, hiding them. The white, or here somewhat cream-coloured flowers turn brown after pollination has been successful (Pooley, 1998; iSpot; www.africanorchids.dk).