This terrestrial orchid is one of the most common southern African eulphias with fleshy lance-shaped, semi-erect leaves that arise from underground corms. It can bear up to 30 flowers in a lax unbranched raceme. The flowers are a striking yellow and have red markings on the lip of the side lobes. These beautiful orchids are found all over Steenbok Nature Reserve particularly at Kingfisher Creek. While there is a great deal of information on the taxonomy of Eulophia species, very little is known about their ecology as yet. Pollination is mostly also poorly understood and E. speciosa is one of the few species where it has already been examined.
The flowers of this species are deceptive and offer no nectar or other reward to the pollinating insect. Pollinators are large carpenter bees ( Xylocopa sp.), which explore the flowers while they instinctively search for new food sources.
Please click the link below for the Eulophia speciosa fact sheet:-
https://www.steenboknaturereserve.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Eulophia-speciosa.pdf
All orchids are protected by law in South Africa, and must not be removed from the wild without a permit, only nursery-grown plants can be cultivated legally.