Orchidaceae
Habenaria

Habenaria cavatibrachia Summerh.

First published in Bot. Mus. Leafl. 10: 273 (1942)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Ethiopia to Uganda. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
A terrestrial herb 1.5–5.5 dm. high.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers ovoid, 2 cm. long, 1.5 cm. in diameter, tomentose.
Morphology Stem
Stem rather slender, loosely leafy.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 4–7, the lowest 1 or 2 sheath-like, the remainder lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, shortly acuminate, the largest 6–12 cm. long, 2–3.5 cm. broad, the uppermost resembling the bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 5–10 cm. long, 2–6-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts lanceolate, acute, up to 5 cm. long, shorter than the flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers curving outwards, green, the side lobes of the lip whitish, the column brown; pedicel with ovary 3–4 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect, broadly elliptical, rounded, convex, 10–20 mm. long, 11–13.5 mm. broad; laterals spreading, obliquely lanceolate, subacute, 15–2 5 mm. long, ± 10 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals obliquely oblong-elliptical, apiculate, 11–16 mm. long, 6.5–8 mm. broad, ciliolate on outer margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip deflexed, 3-lobed just below the middle, the wedge-shaped claw ± 9 mm. long; middle lobe ligulate, obtuse, + 14 mm. long; side lobes 16–22 mm. long, divided on the outer margin into 3–8 threads which are up to 12 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur pendent, swollen in the apical half, 10–14 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther erect, 4.5–6.5 mm. long, the loculi adjacent, canals scarcely developed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas club-shaped, receptive surfaces obliquely truncate, ± 6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Rostellum middle lobe very short and broad, the side lobes hollowed out at the apex.
Habitat
In upland grassland; 2100–2700 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K5 U1
[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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • 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