Orchids in Western Cape

The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is found in the Western Cape of South Africa and is famed for its high plant species richness (8 700 species) and its high endemicity. The CFR has also been named ‘the world’s hottest hotspot of biological diversity’. Amazingly, 70% of Cape floral species are found here and nowhere else on the planet, surpassing many tropical forest regions in floral diversity and richness.

The CFR is located at the southwestern corner of Africa, and is an L-shaped area averaging only 100 km in width. It extends about 500 km along the south coast of South Africa from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, and an additional 250 km northward from Cape Town to the semi-arid Namaqualand. This region experiences a very wet and cold winter followed by a dry summer period, which can lead to drought.

To date, 241 native orchid species belonging to the Cape flora are recognised (with many more likely to be discovered). This is an unusually high number of species for a temperate region, considering the relatively small size of the area. These orchid species have not just merely eked out an existence in this region, but have thrived due to the unusual strategies they have evolved for survival in this harsh environment of ecological extremes. Of the 24 genera occurring in the Cape Floral Region, only 5 genera (8 species) are epiphytic with the majority being terrestrial (19 genera comprising 233 species). The most well-known and rich genera is that of the Disa which has 104 recognised species. Of the Disa genera the most famous species is Disa uniflora, an iconic red flower referred to as the Pride of Table Mountain. Its range is restricted to sandstone mountains, from the west of Hermanus to Table Mountain and northwards into the Cederberg. Disa uniflora thrives in seeps, waterfalls and streamlets in the mountains and has one of the most complex known orchid pollination systems, facilitated by the Mountain Pride Butterfly (Aeropetes tulbagia). Disa uniflora has also become a symbol used by the Mountain Club of South Africa, the Western Province Rugby Team and the Cape Orchid Society.

The Cape Floristic Region has suffered great losses to orchid habitat, particularly on the lowlands of the region, due to overly frequent burning of habitats, urbanisation, poor agricultural practices and infesting alien vegetation. The result is that many orchid species are now lost forever or threatened with extinction. Alarmingly, some three-quarters (1700 species) of all plants in the South African Red Data Book occur in the Cape Floristic Region.

Species List and Flowering Months

According to distribution records for Western Cape, 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	Acrolophia bolusii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	2	Acrolophia capensis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	3	Acrolophia lamellata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	4	Acrolophia lunata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	5	Acrolophia micrantha	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	6	Acrolophia ustulata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	7	Angraecum conchiferum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	8	Angraecum pusillum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	9	Angraecum sacciferum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	10	Bartholina burmanniana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	11	Bartholina etheliae	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	12	Bonatea speciosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	13	Brachycorythis macowaniana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	14	Brownleea recurvata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	15	Calanthe sylvatica	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	16	Ceratandra atrata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	17	Ceratandra bicolor	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	18	Ceratandra globosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	19	Ceratandra grandiflora	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	20	Ceratandra harveyana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	21	Ceratandra venosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	22	Corycium bicolorum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	23	Corycium bifidium	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	24	Corycium carnosum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	25	Corycium crispum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	26	Corycium deflexum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	27	Corycium dracomontanum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	28	Corycium excisum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	29	Corycium ingeanum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	2
	30	Corycium microglossum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	31	Corycium nigrescens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	32	Corycium orobanchoides	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	33	Cyrtorchis arcuata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	34	Disa aconitoides subsp. aconitoides	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	35	Disa albomagtea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	36	Disa arida	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	37	Disa atricapilla	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	38	Disa atrorubens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	39	Disa aurata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	40	Disa barbata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	41	Disa begleyi	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	42	Disa bifida	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	43	Disa biflora	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	44	Disa bivalvata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	45	Disa bodkinii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	46	Disa linderiana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	47	Disa brachyceras	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	48	Disa bracteata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	49	Disa brevicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	50	Disa cardinalis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	51	Disa caulescens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	52	Disa cedarbergsis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	53	Disa cernua	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	54	Disa cochlearis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	55	Disa comosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	56	Disa conferta	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	57	Disa cornuta	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	58	Disa crassicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	59	Disa cylindrica	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	60	Disa densiflora	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	61	Disa draconis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	62	Disa elegans	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	63	Disa esterhuyseniae	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	64	Disa fasciata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	65	Disa ferruginea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	66	Disa filicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	67	Disa flexuosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	68	Disa gladioliflora subsp. capricornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	69	Disa gladioliflora subsp. gladioliflora	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	70	Disa glandulosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	71	Disa graminifolia	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	72	Disa hallackii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	73	Disa harveiana subsp. harveiana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	74	Disa harveiana subsp. longicaarata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	75	Disa hians	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	76	Disa inflexa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	77	Disa introrsa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	78	Disa linderiana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	79	Disa lineata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	80	Disa longicornu	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	81	Disa longifolia	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	82	Disa longipetala	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	83	Disa lugens var. lugens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	84	Disa maculata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	85	Disa marlothii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	86	Disa micropetala	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	87	Disa minor	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	88	Disa multifida	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	89	Disa neglecta	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	90	Disa nubigena	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	91	Disa obliqua subsp. clavigera	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	92	Disa obliqua subsp. obliqua	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	93	Disa obtusa subsp. hottentotica	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	94	Disa obtusa subsp. obtusa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	95	Disa obtusa subsp. picta	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	96	Disa ocellata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	97	Disa oligantha	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	98	Disa ophrydea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	99	Disa ovalifolia	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	100	Disa physodes	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	101	Disa pillansii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	102	Disa porrecta	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	103	Disa procera	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	104	Disa pygmaea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	105	Disa racemosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	106	Disa remota	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	107	Disa reticulata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	108	Disa richardiana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	109	Disa rosea	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	110	Disa rufescens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	111	Disa sabulosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	112	Disa sagittalis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	113	Disa salteri	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	114	Disa schizodioides	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	115	Disa schlechteriana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	116	Disa spathulata subsp. spathulata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	117	Disa spathulata subsp. tripartita	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	118	Disa subtuicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	119	Disa telipogonis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	120	Disa tella subsp. pusilla	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	121	Disa tella subsp. tella	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	122	Disa tenuicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	123	Disa tenuifolia	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	124	Disa tenuis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	125	Disa triloba	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	126	Disa tripetaloides	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	127	Disa tysonii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	128	Disa uncinata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	129	Disa uniflora	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	130	Disa vaginata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	131	Disa vasselotii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	132	Disa venosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	133	Disa venusta	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	134	Disa virginalis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	135	Disperis bodkinii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	136	Disperis bolusiana subsp. bolusiana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	137	Disperis bolusiana subsp. maocorys	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	138	Disperis capensis var. capensis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	139	Disperis circumflexa subsp. aemula	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	140	Disperis circumflexa subsp. circumflexa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	141	Disperis cucullata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	142	Disperis disiformis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	143	Disperis lindleyana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	144	Disperis macowanii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	145	Disperis paludosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	146	Disperis purpurata subsp. purpurata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	147	Disperis thorncroftii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	148	Disperis villosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	149	Eulophia hians var. hians	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	150	Eulophia platypetala	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	151	Eulophia speciosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	152	Eulophia tuberculata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	153	Evotella rubiginosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	154	Habenaria araria	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	155	Habenaria faicornis subsp. faicornis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	156	Habenaria laevigata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	157	Habenaria lithophila	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	158	Holothrix aspera	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	159	Holothrix brevipetala	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	160	Holothrix burchellii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	161	Holothrix cernua	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	162	Holothrix exilis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	163	Holothrix grandiflora	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	164	Holothrix longicornu	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	165	Holothrix mundii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	166	Holothrix parviflora	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	167	Holothrix pilosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	168	Holothrix schlechteriana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	169	Holothrix secunda	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	170	Holothrix villosa var. condsata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	171	Holothrix villosa var. villosa	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	172	Liparis capensis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	173	Liparis remota	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	174	Mystacidium capense	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	175	Pachites appressus	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	176	Pachites bodkinii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	177	Polystachya ottoniana	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	178	Pterygodium acutifolium	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	179	Pterygodium alatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	180	Pterygodium caffrum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	181	Pterygodium catholicum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	182	Pterygodium cleistogamum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	183	Pterygodium crispum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	184	Pterygodium cruciferum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	185	Pterygodium hallii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	186	Pterygodium newdigateae	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	187	Pterygodium pentherianum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	188	Pterygodium platypetalum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	189	Pterygodium schelpei	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	190	Pterygodium vermiferum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	191	Pterygodium voluis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	192	Satyrium acuminatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	193	Satyrium bicallosum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	194	Satyrium bicorne	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	195	Satyrium bracteatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	196	Satyrium candidum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	197	Satyrium carneum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	198	Satyrium coriifolium	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	199	Satyrium emarcidum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	200	Satyrium erectum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	201	Satyrium eurycalcaratum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	202	Satyrium foliosum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	203	Satyrium hallackii subsp. hallackii	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	204	Satyrium humile	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	205	Satyrium jacottetiae	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	206	Satyrium ligulatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	207	Satyrium longicolle	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	208	Satyrium lupulinum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	209	Satyrium membranaceum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	210	Satyrium muticum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	211	Satyrium odorum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	212	Satyrium outeniquense	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	213	Satyrium pallens	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	214	Satyrium parviflorum	1	2	2	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	215	Satyrium princeps	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	216	Satyrium pulchrum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	217	Satyrium pumilum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	218	Satyrium pygmaeum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	219	Satyrium retusum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	220	Satyrium rhynchanthum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	221	Satyrium rupestre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	222	Satyrium situsanguinum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	223	Satyrium stenopetalum subsp. brevicalcaratum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	224	Satyrium stenopetalum subsp. stenopetalum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	225	Satyrium striatum	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	226	Tridactyle bicaudata subsp. bicaudata	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12

* This species has in the past been recorded as present in Gauteng, but is so rare that it has not been found recently, or could be extinct by now due mainly to the urbanisation creep. ** This species has recently been found in our area, but the official distribution information does not cover Gauteng.