Habenaria dives

Habenaria dives, commonly known as the death orchid, is a ground orchid, a deciduous perennial growing to heights around 70 cm.

Its stiff, stem-clasping leaves have prominent veins. They become 15 cm long, 2 cm wide and grade into the small floral bracts of the inflorescence.

The species distribution in the east of South Africa ranges from the Eastern Province through KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga and includes both Lesotho and Swaziland. The plant’s habitat is well-drained grassland at elevations from about 100 m to 2450 m. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Pooley, 1998; www.redlist.sanbi.org).