Huttonaea oreophila

Huttonaea oreophila is an erect, small to medium-sized (15 cm to 25 cm tall) terrestrial orchid commonly known as the mountain loving huttonaea.

The species distribution is confined to a few places in the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Drakensberg at elevations between 1300 m and 2200 m. The habitat is damp grassland and below cliffs in a generally cool to cold climate.

The population of this rare plant is considered to be stable, i.e. without threat early in the twenty first century (www.orchidspecies.com; www.africanorchids.dk; www.redlist.sanbi.org).