Bonatea cassidea Sond. 1846 Photo courtesy of Olaf Pronk and Laurette E.U.R.L. orchids of Madagascar

Plants in situ in Zimbabwe Photo courtesy of Bart Wursten © and his Flora Of Zimbabwe WebSite

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Common Name The Helmut-Shaped Bonatea

Flower Size

Found in Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Transvaal, Natal and Cape Province South Africa in shade amongst boulders at elevations of 1200 to 1500 meters as a slender, small to medium szied, cool to cold growing terrestrial with an erect, leafy stem carrying 10 to 12, linear-lanceolate, acute, slightly falcate leaves that are partially withered at blooming which occurs in the late winter and spring on an erect, 2 to 8" [5 to 20 cm] long, several to many flowered inflorescence with ovate, acuminate floral bracts.

Synonyms Bonatea darwinii Weale 1869; ;Habenaria cassidea Rchb.f. 1849;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 11 1978 photo; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo fide; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 1 Pope 1995; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 under B saundersiae as separate species; Terrestrial African Orchids, A select Review John S. Ball 2009 drawing fide

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