We saw a very cool plant today: the Leopard Orchid.

I will just quote from a website that gives a very good description for that plant:

“The African Ansellia is commonly known as the Leopard Orchid. It is not difficult to see the rationale behind the common name when one takes a look at the Ansellia africana orchid, named in honor of John Ansell who discovered the first specimens when he embarked on an expedition on the Niger river. Some orchid enthusiasts claim that there is only one species of Ansellia africana that can be described as a monotypic genus, but the Leopard Orchid is actually a very complex group of species that all share a common growth structure and flower bearing habit. The other names that are associated with the Ansellia africana are as follows: Luipaardorchidee (Dutch), Luiperdorgidee (Afrikaans); Imfeyenkawu (Zulu).

Another odd, but wonderful characteristic of the Ansellia africana orchid also earned it an odd name, Trash Basket Orchid. That characteristic is the Ansellia africana’s ability, due to its epiphytic nature, to create a makeshift container of its aerial roots to not just catch but also to digest falling leaf litter and use it as nutrients.”

So … Trash Basket Orchid … let’s take a look at the photo that Togara took today:

The Ansellia africana is a huge epiphyte that grows in clumps. In nature you can find them attached to tree branches (see above, true!) by their epiphytic aerial roots that resemble canes, showing off spectacularly when the Ansellia africana is in bloom. These aerial roots can become very thick and resembles rope like structures that will anchor the orchid plant onto the substrate. This orchid uses its ‘other’ aerial roots, pointing upwards, making them appear like a trash basket (to catch organic debris) around its pseudobulbs. Each of these pseudobulbs can carry up to 8 leaves which in turn bears the flowers. The organic debris serves as nutrients for the orchid when it grows in its natural habitat. These aerial roots look different from the ones used to anchor the orchid plant. In its natural habitat the Ansellia africana can live and thrive for a long, long time, become huge plants with spectacular masses of flowers.

As I always tell our guests … don’t expect a safari here to just be about a few animals and that’s it. We have hundreds of species of birds here, some of them so pretty that it takes your breath away (European roller, anyone?), some so huge that some are rumoured to outsize an Peruvian Condor even (so I’m talking huge). Some say: “Oh, I am not very interested in birds”. Well, let’s see if you still say that when you see an eagle with a 4 meter wing span fly past you). We also have over a hundred species of trees, and lots and lots of bush and flower types. And all of these elements make for a beautiful and interesting safari in the African bush, and very often it is these little things that provide the most lasting memories.

Here a nice photo of a journey of giraffes that we also came across on our day out in the bush today. Always curious those …