Orchidaceae
Habenaria

Habenaria decurvirostris Summerh.

First published in Bot. Mus. Leafl. 10: 275 (1942)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is 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 20–30 cm tall; tubers c. 2 cm diameter, globose.
Morphology Stem
Stem erect, with 1 basal leaf and several to many bract-like stem leaves.
Morphology Leaves
Basal leaf appressed to the ground, 2–3 × 2.5–3.5 cm, heart-shaped; stem leaves c. 15 mm long, linear, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 10–11 × 3 cm, densely many-flowered; bracts c. 15 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers yellow-green.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Pedicel 3–6 mm long, ovary arched, 8–11 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect, 3–3.5 × 2.5 mm, ovate, obtuse, convex; lateral sepals deflexed, 5.5 × 3–3.5 mm, obliquely semi-ovate, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 2-lobed ± to base; posterior lobe erect, 3.5 × 0.7 mm, lanceolate-linear, adnate to dorsal sepal; anterior lobe 5.5–6.5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, curving downwards, linear, obtuse, rather fleshy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip rather fleshy, 3-lobed almost to base; mid-lobe 4.5–5.5 × 1–3 mm, spathulate-ligulate, the lower edge slightly recurved; side lobes 4.5–5.5 × 0.8–1.2 mm, slightly diverging, ligulate or oblanceolate; spur 9–10 mm long, swollen at apex, pendent or ± incurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column
Column 3 mm high; anther loculi parallel, 2 mm long; canals 1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmatic arms 2–2.5 mm long, curving down.
[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

    • '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