Once upon a time in 1925, an unusual story unfolded. A lone traveler, gazing out from a train window somewhere between Johannesburg and Heidelberg, disembarked at the Heidelberg station. Drawn to the nearby slopes, he ventured off for a brief stroll and encountered something remarkabl – an orchid, Holothrix micrantha. He continued his journey, never realizing that he would be the last person to lay eyes on this orchid, an encounter so fleeting it would eventually earn the plant its “Critically Endangered, Possibly Extinct” (CR PE) status on the Red List.

For nearly a century, Holothrix micrantha has been a mystery, its story haunting botanists and nature lovers alike. Determined to change this, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) has spent more than a decade on the orchid’s trail. This year, the search team expanded, with CREW (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers) and BotSoc joining the effort. And so, on the weekend of October 26-27, we set off to the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, a protected area of rolling hills and grassy cliffs, where the orchid might still bloom, hidden in plain sight.

Our hopes were high as we targeted south-facing slopes and grassy cliff areas – habitats where the elusive orchid could be found based on historical records. The first day proved challenging, with no sightings despite hours of scouring the rugged terrain. Undeterred, we resumed our search on day two, only to be met with powerful winds gusting up to 80 km/h, which eventually forced us to pause. Despite our best efforts, Holothrix micrantha remained elusive, a ghost in the landscape. Yet, our spirits are far from dampened. This orchid is known to be cryptic and can be easily overlooked, offering us a glimmer of hope that it may yet be rediscovered. We’re determined to continue our quest next year, driven by the possibility that we may witness one of the greatest botanical rediscoveries of our time. Finding Holothrix micrantha would indeed be the discovery of the century for Gauteng. Our heartfelt thanks go to GDARD, CREW and the dedicated BotSoc members who joined us on this field trip. We look forward to the continued search, carrying with us the spirit of discovery and a vision of what might just be waiting around the next bend, or corner.

Written by Eunezia Sitoe, BotSoc-CREW Conservation Project Coordinator (KZN)