Eulophia is a fascinating and highly varied genus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae, bringing together some of the most adaptable and characterful terrestrial orchids of the tropics and subtropics. Eulophia is an accepted genus of perennials, native across tropical and subtropical regions and currently lists 286 accepted species. In Africa, the genus is especially rich and diverse, occurring in habitats ranging from fynbos to semi-arid regions and coastal dunes to grasslands, swamps and tropical forests, with sub-Saharan Africa and the western Indian Ocean islands forming a major centre of diversity. Many species grow from underground corms, tubers or pseudobulbs, producing pleated leaves and elegant flower spikes that may carry yellow, green, brown, cream, pink, purple or richly marked blooms. Some, such as Eulophia speciosa, are rewarding pot plants with bright yellow flowers, while others, such as Eulophia horsfallii, can become magnificent, tall-growing garden or container specimens with large purple flowers.

Eulophia welwitschii is a perennial, terrestrial orchid, about 800 mm high, with underground corms, and stiffly erect leaves which are present at flowering time. The leaves are strongly pleated. The flowers are borne on a single, tall flowering stem in a dense head of up to 25 flowers. Both the petals and sepals are yellow (pale green or cream-coloured in some cases) with the sepals and petals held close together. It has dark red-purple markings on the inside of the side lobes and base of the lip and thread-like crest papillae. The spur is slender and short and hidden by the bracts. It flowers from November to January, coinciding with the summer rains. After flowering, the plants produce one or more seed capsules on the flower spike. When they are dry and grey-brown, they burst open to release thousands of seeds which are very small, almost dust-like, and are dispersed by wind.