Orchidaceae
Habenaria

Habenaria calvilabris Summerh.

First published in Kew Bull. 16: 303 (1962)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Burundi to S. Tropical Africa. 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 30–90 cm tall, glabrous except for roots.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers c. 1.5 × 1 cm, ellipsoid.
Morphology Stem
Stem leafy along its length.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 5–10, the lowermost sheath-like, the 3–6 above these suberect, c. 10–20 × 1–3.5 cm, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute; uppermost leaves grading into the bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 6–30 × 3–5 cm, fairly densely several- to many-flowered; bracts 5–22 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers with a strong scent variously described as attractive or unpleasant or sickly; suberect, greenish-white or green with lip mid-lobe white.(A note on the type specimen says lip is orange and white).Pedicel 10 mm long; ovary 12–16 mm long, 6-ribbed, densely papillose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect, 9–11 × 4–5.5 mm, elliptic, obtuse, convex, the margins ± incurved; lateral sepals spreading, 10–13.5 × 6–8.5 mm, obliquely ovate or oblong-ovate, apiculate or subacute, densely papillose-rugulose outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 2-lobed to base, upper lobe adnate to dorsal sepal, 8–10.5 × 0.7–1.3 mm, linear; lower lobe porrect, 12–16.5 × 1.5–2.2 mm, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip divided to 1.5–2.5 mm from base, the basal undivided part adnate to stigmatic arms; mid-lobe deflexed, 10–12.5 × 1–2 mm, ligulate or linear-spathulate, rather fleshy; side lobes spreading, 11–13.5 × 2.5–4.5 mm, curved-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute; spur pendent, slightly recurved, 17–29 mm long, slightly inflated at apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther erect, 5.5–7 mm high, apex obtuse or slightly apiculate; canals 3–3.5 mm long; auricles erect, elliptic, obtuse; stigmatic arms 5.5–7 mm long, porrect, apex enlarged and truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Rostellum mid-lobe erect, 2–4 mm long, triangular-linear.
[FZ]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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