Bonatea is a genus of approximately 11–13 species of terrestrial orchids in the family Orchidaceae, placed within the subfamily Orchidoideae, tribe Orchideae, and subtribe Orchidinae. The genus was described by the German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow in 1805 in Species Plantarum, edition 4.
Species of Bonatea are herbaceous perennials that grow from underground tubers, producing erect leafy stems that die back to the ground after flowering. The flowers are typically white or green and white, with a highly complex labellum (lip) divided into characteristic strap-like lobes. The lip structure — often deeply three-lobed with a long spur — is a defining morphological feature of the genus and an adaptation for pollination by hawkmoths (Sphingidae), which probe the flowers at night. The genus is closely related to the large pantropical genus Habenaria, from which it was segregated, and shares with it the terrestrial, tuberous growth form common to many members of the subtribe Orchidinae.
The distribution of Bonatea is centred on sub-Saharan Africa, with species occurring in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A single species, B. steudneri, extends the range beyond the African continent into Yemen and Saudi Arabia, making it the most widely distributed species in the genus. The most celebrated member is B. speciosa, the greater green-veined orchid or bonatea, which is native to the eastern and southern coast of South Africa and is frequently encountered in rocky grassland and bushveld habitats.
Etymology
The genus Bonatea was named by the German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow in 1805, in his Species Plantarum (edition 4). The name honours Giuseppe Bonat, an Italian botanist, following the long-standing botanical convention of commemorating scientists in genus names.
Distribution
Bonatea is native to tropical and southern Africa, with its centre of diversity in South Africa, and species recorded across Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One species, B. steudneri, extends beyond continental Africa into Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Taxonomy Notes
Bonatea Willd. (1805) belongs to the subfamily Orchidoideae, tribe Orchideae, subtribe Orchidinae within Orchidaceae. It is closely allied to Habenaria and was segregated from that large pantropical genus. GBIF currently recognises 11 accepted species; some earlier treatments accepted up to 14. The genus was described in Willdenow's Sp. Pl. ed. 4, 4(1): 43 (1805).
