Orchidaceae
Habenaria

Habenaria adolphi Schltr.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 503 (1915)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to Zambia. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Orchidaceae, I. la Croix and P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:1. 1995

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb 25–50 cm tall; tubers globose or ellipsoid, tomentose.
Morphology Stem
Stem erect, with 2 basal leaves and several bract-like leaves scattered along its length.
Morphology Leaves
Basal leaves appressed to ground, 4–7 × 5–8 cm, broadly ovate, reniform or orbicular, cordate at base; bract-like leaves up to 4 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 4–12 cm long, densely 3–15-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white or greenish-white, suberect.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Ovary and pedicel c. 2 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts of similar length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals all with 1–3 toothed keels on the veins outside; dorsal sepal erect, 13–16 × 6.5–9 mm, ovate, acute, convex; lateral sepals deflexed, 15–18 × 7 mm, obliquely semi-orbicular, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 2-lobed ± to base; posterior lobe 13–16 mm long, less than 1 mm wide, erect; anterior lobe 20–35 mm long, 1–2 mm wide at base, horn-like, curving upwards.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip projecting, 3-lobed ± to base, all lobes 1–2 mm wide, linear; mid-lobe 18–27 mm long; side lobes 14–20 mm long; spur 20–25 mm long, very swollen at apex, ± parallel to ovary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther 5–7 mm high, erect, apiculate; canals slender, 6–9 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmatic arms 7–10 mm long, slender but suddenly widened and truncate at apex.
[FZ]

Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit
A terrestrial herb, 3–5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers ellipsoid or almost globose, 1.5–2.5 cm. long, 1–2 cm. in diameter, tomentose.
Morphology Stem
Stem erect, slender to rather stout, with 2 (rarely 3) large leaves at the base and several much smaller ones scattered along its length.
Morphology Leaves
Basal leaves adpressed to the ground, opposite, broadly ovate to reniform-orbicular, obtuse or rounded, slightly cordate at the base, 5–7 cm. long, 5–8 cm. broad, fleshy; stem-leaves 4–6, ± erect, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, up to 4 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 4–12 cm. long, 5–7 cm. in diameter, rather closely 3–15-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts like stem-leaves, 1.5–2.5 cm. long, the lower ones about equalling the pedicel with ovary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers suberect, cream or whitish- or yellowish-green; ovary with pedicel nearly straight, 2–3 cm. long, the former usually with 6 toothed or crenulate wings.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect, lanceolate, acute, very convex, 1.3–1.6 cm. long, 6.5–8 mm. broad; laterals deflexed, obliquely semi-ovate, acuminate, 1.6–1.7 cm. long, ± 7 mm. broad; all sepals with 1–3 toothed keels on the veins outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals bipartite nearly to the base; posterior (upper) lobe erect, linear, 1.3–1.5 cm. long, ± 1 mm. broad; anterior lobe curving upwards like a horn, subulate-linear, 2.5- 3.5 cm. long, 1–2 mm. broad near the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip projecting forwards, tripartite nearly to the base; lobes linear, the middle lobe 1.8–2 cm. long, the side lobes 1.4–1.7 cm. long, all 1–2 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur ± parallel to the ovary, somewhat swollen in the apical part, 2–2.5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther erect, apiculate, 6–7 mm. high, canals porrect, rather slender, 6–8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas porrect, slender below, suddenly widened and truncate at the apex, 7–9 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Rostellum triangular, acute, 1–3.5 mm. long.
Habitat
Forest or woodland; 1500 m.
Distribution
T4 T7
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0