Stenoglottis zambesiaca flowers

The flowers of Stenoglottis zambesiaca grow in a lax spike, from few to many per inflorescence. The inflorescence is secund, the flowers tending to face to one side of the stem.

The floral bracts are shorter than the ovaries they partly cover. Flower colour is white or pink to lilac. Somewhat elongated purple blotches are scattered along the three-lobed lip in picture. The flower lips have no spurs.

The dorsal sepal is elliptic, up to 5,5 mm long and 2 mm wide. The lateral ones spread, obliquely oval in shape and slightly longer than the dorsal. The lateral petals enfold the column. They become 6 mm long, 3 mm wide. Both sepals and petals have tiny papillae along their margins.

Flowering happens in late summer and early autumn (http://apps.kew.org; www.zimbabweflora.co.zw).