Eulophia is a very large pantropical genus and is represented in southern Africa by 45 orchid species. The plants grow terrestrially in small to large colonies in grassland, marshes, savanna and scrub, and occasionally also in fynbos. With their open and often also fairly large flowers in brilliant colours, they resemble ‘typical orchids’ more than other indigenous South African orchids. Flowering occurs in spring or summer. Plants have underground corms or partly aerial pseudobulbs. Leaves, which may be absent or present at the flowering time, are either thin-tissued or leathery (sometimes even succulent). The erect inflorescences are always lateral and bear a number of medium-sized or large flowers. In most species these are resupinate (lip facing down). Sepals and petals are normally simple and always unspurred. The lip is most commonly three-lobed and usually has a basal sac or spur. On its upper surface it has various outgrowths like crests, papillae or lamellae, but a large lip appendage as in Pterygodium is not present. The column is stout to elongate and has a prominent undifferentiated column-part. Apically it bears the anther (pollen sac) which is positioned under a ‘lid’ called the anther cap. The stigma is situated in a cavity on the front side of the column below the anther. Growing orchids from seed is a fairly specialized undertaking and it requires a bit of understanding of tissue culture techniques. If you have never grown orchids from seed we recommend that before attempting this you should first coct your local Orchid Society, or purchase a book on the subject, or both!

Eulophia welwitschii is a perennial, terrestrial orchid, about 800 mm high, with underground corms, and stiffly erect leaves which are present at flowering time. The leaves are strongly pleated. The flowers are borne on a single, tall flowering stem in a dense head of up to 25 flowers. Both the petals and sepals are yellow (pale green or cream-coloured in some cases) with the sepals and petals held close together. It has dark red-purple markings on the inside of the side lobes and base of the lip and thread-like crest papillae. The spur is slender and short and hidden by the bracts. It flowers from November to January, coinciding with the summer rains. After flowering, the plants produce one or more seed capsules on the flower spike. When they are dry and grey-brown, they burst open to release thousands of seeds which are very small, almost dust-like, and are dispersed by wind.