Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: mammakappie, mombakkiesblommetjie, cowled friar

Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid)

Distribution: Eastern Cape, Western Cape

Habitat: Renosterveld

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

National red list: Least Concern

Life form: Geophyte (bulb, corm or tuber - seasonally dormant)

Comments: A common and widespread Cape terrestrial orchid that grows in a range of habitats and altitudes. The flowers of this orchid secretes oil which is collected by its exclusive pollinator, the oil-collecting bee species Rediviva peringueyi. These bees use the floral oil to feed their larvae. This bee is also the exclusive pollinator of at least 14 other plants that share similar floral features: pale yellow-green flowers, floral oil, a characteristic pungent scent and a flowering peak in September. This convergence of floral features to ensure a specialised pollination relationship is known as a “pollination syndrome”. This pollination mechanism is an example of extreme specialisation.