Orchids in Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga is famous for its numerous Game Reserves including the Kruger National Park. It is in the summer rainfall region with a great variety of habitat of grasslands, wetlands, mountains, river valleys, natural forests and woodlands. The escarpment with the inevitable mist is important for the survival of epiphytic orchids in the harsh African climate and often irregular rainfall and drought.

The natural habitat is shrinking at a rapid rate and this is putting pressure on our orchid resources.
WOSA was established at the World Orchid Conference in Sandton in 2014 and is leading a National Initiative to conserve and propagate indigenous orchids. In most cases our terrestrial orchids cannot be translocated successfully and we have embarked upon research projects, hopefully to overcome these hurdles.
We are fortunate that we have an excellent reserve, the Verloren Valei Nature Reserve, situated near Dullstroom. Over 56 species of terrestrial orchids have been identified growing in the reserve. As a WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) initiative in 2014 the Friends of Verloren Valei (FVV) group was formed to assist management to turn this into a popular venue for Orchid enthusiasts from all over the country. The main flowering time is from December to March when a number of guided trips are held and visitors can see in excess of 20 species in a one day trip, which is easily accessed from Pretoria and Johannesburg.
This website clearly describes our modus operandi in mobilising support in establishing WOSA Chapters countrywide to conserve orchids in their natural habitats, and work towards creating reserves, protected areas and other safe havens in which to translocate plants.

Other Mpumalanga hotspots are Hazeyview, Barberton, Graskop, Pilgrims Rest, Sabie, the Longtom Pass, the Blyderiver Canyon, Nelspruit, the Songimvelo Nature Reserve, Piet Retief and Wakkerstroom.

The Sentinal Graskop Mpumalanga

The orchids that occur in Mpumalanga are terrestrial deciduous orchids which means that they grow in a similar manner to bulbs - they are dormant during the dry, cold time of the year and only emerge from the ground when Spring arrives.

Species List and Flowering Months

According to distribution records for Mpumalanga, the following species occur in the province. The table details the typical flowering time for each species. Due to urbanisation, several of the species listed have become very rare or possibly extinct.

	Additional information available Red list endangered Orange list threatened
	No.	Species	Flowering Months
	1	Acampe pachyglossa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	2	Angraecum chamaeanthus	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	3	Angraecum conchiferum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	4	Angraecum sacciferum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	5	Ansellia africana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	6	Bonatea polypodantha	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	7	Bonatea pulchella	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	8	Bonatea saundersioides	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	9	Bonatea var antennifera	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	10	Brachycorythis conica transvaalensis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	11	Brachycorythis ovata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	12	Brachycorythis pleistophylla	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	13	Brachycorythis pubescens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	14	Brachycorythis tenuior	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	15	Brownleea caerulea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	16	Brownleea galpinii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	17	Brownleea parviflora *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	18	Brownleea graminicola	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	19	Bulbophyllum sandersonii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	20	Centrostigma occultans	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	21	Corycium dracomontanum *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	22	Corycium nigrescens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	24	Corymborkis corymbis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	25	Cynorkis kassneriana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	26	Cyrtorchis praetermissa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	27	Cyrtorchis arcuata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	28	Disa aconitoides	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	29	Disa alticola	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	30	Disa amoena	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	31	Disa baurii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	32	Disa klugei	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	33	Disa brevicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	34	Disa chrysostachya	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	35	Disa clavicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	36	Disa cooperi	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	37	Disa extinctoria	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	38	Disa fragrans	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	39	Disa hircicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	40	Disa maculomarronina	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	41	Disa nervosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	42	Disa oreophila	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	43	Disa patula transvaalensis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	44	Disa rhodantha	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	45	Disa saxicola	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	46	Disa stachyoides	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	47	Disa versicolor *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	48	Disa woodii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	49	Disa zimbabweensis	1	2	3	4					9	10	11	12
	50	Disperis anthoceras	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	51	Disperis cardiophora	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	52	Disperis concinna	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	53	Disperis cooperi	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	54	Disperis fanniniae	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	55	Disperis lindleyana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	56	Disperis micrantha *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	57	Disperis oxyglossa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	58	Disperis renibractea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	59	Disperis stenoplectron	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	60	Disperis thorncroftii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	61	Disperis tysonii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	62	Disperis virginalis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	63	Disperis wealei	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	64	Eulophia aculeata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	65	Eulophia huttonii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	66	Eulophia angolensis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	67	Eulophia callichroma	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
*	68	Eulophia clavicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
*	69	Eulophia inaequalis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	70	Eulophia nutans	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	71	Eulophia clitellifera	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	72	Eulophia cooperi	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	73	Eulophia ensata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	74	Eulophia foliosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	75	Eulophia fridericii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	76	Eulophia rosea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	77	Eulophia leachii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	78	Eulophia leontoglossa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	79	Eulophia meleagris	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	80	Eulophia milnei *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	81	Eulophia odontoglossa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	82	Eulophia bainesii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	83	Eulophia ovalis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	84	Eulophia parviflora *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	85	Eulophia parvilabris	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	86	Eulophia petersii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	87	Eulophia rosea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	88	Eulophia speciosa *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	89	Eulophia streptopetala	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	90	Eulophia welwitschii zeyheri	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	91	Eulophia zeyheriana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	92	Habenaria ciliosa		2	3			6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	93	Habenaria clavata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	94	Habenaria culveri	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	95	Habenaria dives	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	96	Habenaria dregeana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	97	Habenaria epipactidea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	98	Habenaria falcicornis caffra	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
*	99	Habenaria falcicornis falcicorni	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	100	Habenaria filicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	101	Habenaria galpinii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	102	Habenaria lithophila	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	103	Habenaria malacophylla	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8		10	11	12
	104	Habenaria nyikana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	105	Habenaria petitiana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	106	Habenaria pseudociliosa *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	107	Habenaria schimperiana *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	108	Habenaria tridens *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	109	Habenaria trilobulata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	110	Habenaria tysonii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	111	Holothrix culveri	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	112	Holothrix orthoceras	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	113	Holothrix scopularia	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	114	Holothrix thodei	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	115	Holothrix villosa villosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	116	Liparis bowkeri	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	117	Microcoelia exilis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	118	Mystacidium capense	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	119	Mystacidium flanaganii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	120	Mystacidium gracile	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	121	Mystacidium venosum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	122	Neobolusia tysonii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	123	Nervilia kotschyi purpurata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	124	Nervilia crociformis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	125	Platycoryne mediocris	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	126	Polystachya albescens imbricata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	127	Polystachya zambesiaca	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	128	Polystachya concreta	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	129	Polystachya fusiformis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	130	Polystachya gerrardii cultipormis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
*	131	Polystachya imbricata albescens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	132	Polystachya ngomense	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	133	Polystachya ottoniana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	134	Polystachya pubescens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	135	Polystachya transvaalensis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
*	136	Polystachya zambesiaca Rolfe	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	137	Pterygodium hastatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	138	Pterygodium magnum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	139	Satyrium bracteatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	140	Satyrium cristatum cristatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	141	Satyrium cristatum longilabiatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	142	Satyrium hallackii ocellatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	143	Satyrium longicauda jacottetii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	144	Satyrium longicauda longicauda	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	145	Satyrium microrrhynchum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	146	Satyrium neglectum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	147	Satyrium parviflorum *	1	1	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	148	Satyrium trinerve *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	149	Schizochilus cecilii culveri	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	150	Schizochilus cecilii transvaalensis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	151	Schizochilus crenulatus	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	152	Schizochilus flexuosus	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	153	Schizochilus lilacinus	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	154	Schizochilus zeyheri *	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	155	Stenoglottis fimbriata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	156	Tridactyle tricuspis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12

Red list of Mpumalanga Endangered Orchids

Habenaria mossii (Endangered)
Holothrix micrantha (Endangered)
Brachycorythis conica subsp. transvallensis (Vulnerable)
Eulophia coddii (Vulnerable)

Orange list of Mpumalanga Threatened Orchids

Habenaria barbertoni (Near Threatened)
Habenaria bicolor (Near Threatened)
Habenaria kraenzliniana (Near Threatened)
Holothrix randii (Near Threatened)

SANBI Threatened Orchids

SANBI threatened Orchid list

Information about Mpumalanga Legislation

Mpumalanga Legislation

Conservation Areas

Verloren Valei Mpumalanga – A Biodiversity Hotspot among Trout Dams?

Credits

Introduction by Casper van Zyl

Flowering time information compiled by Duncan MacFarlane from the Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa & Swaziland (D. McMurtry, L. Grobler, J. Grobler, & S. Burns)

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Orchids in Mpumalanga

Species List and Flowering Months

Additional information available Red list endangered Orange list threatened

No.

Flowering Months