Tallest of the Falkland Islands orchids, the Yellow Orchid can grow up to 40 cm (15.7 inches) high. Leaft bracts, dark green, long and oval, spiral around the stem to make it seem stout. Flowers are set at regular intervals up the stem. As flowers open upwards towards the top of the stem seed capsules and flowers might be viewed on the same stem. Flowers are dark yellow with green veins except for the central petal which is greener  with a distinctive orange middle stripe. Flowers might be seen from November to January but if they don't open they might self-fertilise. They ripen to oval brown seed capsules. Found near coasts, on cliffs and claybanks, or steeply sloping heathland. Also occurs on Tierra del Fuego and southern Chile to 40°S.

Native. This plant is legally protected. It is an offence to deliberately pick, collect, cut, uproot or destroy a protected wild plant.

Sources include: Plants of the Falkland Islands- Ali Liddle, Flowering Plants of the Falkland Islands- Robin W. Woods,The Vascular Flora of the Falkland Islands- D. M. Moore, B.Sc., Ph.D, 1968

Photographic credits: Robert Maddocks

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