Orchidaceae
Habenaria

Habenaria kyimbilae Schltr.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 515 (1915)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. DR Congo. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
A terrestrial herb 2–9 dm. high, glabrous except for the petals and roots.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers globose to ellipsoid, 1–2.5 cm. long, 8–14 mm. in diameter, together with the roots sparsely pilose.
Morphology Stem
Stem erect, rather slender, leafy throughout its length.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 6–11, the lowermost 1–2 with black-spotted sheaths, lower 4–7 suberect, lanceolate to linear, the largest 8–23 cm. long and 1–2 cm. broad, rarely broader, the upper 2–4 smaller, adpressed to the stem, lanceolate, similar to the lowest bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 5–25 cm. long, 3–4 cm. in diameter, rather densely 10- to many-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts lanceolate, acuminate, 1–2.5 cm. long, the lower ones equalling or exceeding the pedicel with ovary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers curving outwards, green, yellowish-green or whitish-green; pedicel with ovary curved, 1.5–2 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal reflexed, narrowly elliptical, obtuse, convex, 5.5–6 mm. long, 2–3 mm. broad; laterals deflexed, obliquely obovate, apiculum lateral, 6.5–8.5 mm. long, ± 5 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals bipartite nearly to the base, densely pubescent and ciliate; posterior (upper) lobe linear, obtuse, ± 6 mm. long and 0.5 mm. broad; anterior lobe spreading forwards, lanceolate, 7–9.5 mm. long, 1–2 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip deflexed, tripartite from a short undivided base scarcely 1 mm. long; middle lobe linear, obtuse, ± incurved, 10–12 mm. long, just over 0.5 mm. broad; side lobes lanceolate-linear, acute, 6.5–8.5 mm. long, rather broader than the middle lobe.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur ± incurved, somewhat swollen in the distal half, 10–12.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther erect, ± 3 mm. high, loculi reclinate, canals ± incurved, 3.5–5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas porrect, thickened and truncate at the apex, 3–4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Rostellum linear-triangular, acute, 1–2 mm. long.
Habitat
In grassland or among rocks, often in damp places; 1400–2700 m.
Distribution
T4 T7 T8
[FTEA]

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

Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers 1–2.5 cm long, globose or ellipsoid.
Morphology Stem
Stem leafy; leaves 6–11, the lowermost 1–2 sheathing and spotted with black; the uppermost 2–4 becoming bract-like; the middle ones suberect, the largest 6.5–22 × 1–2 cm, linear or lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 5–25 × 2–3.5 cm, densely several- to many-flowered; bracts of similar length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers green, the anterior petal lobe usually white but sometimes greenish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Pedicel and ovary 10–20 mm long, arched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal reflexed, 5–6 × 2–3 mm, elliptic; lateral sepals deflexed, 6–10 × 3–5 mm, obliquely obovate with a lateral apiculum.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals densely pubescent, 2-lobed almost to base; upper lobe erect, 5–6 × 0.3–1 mm, linear; lower lobe spreading, 6–10 × 1–2 mm, lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 3-lobed almost to base; mid-lobe 8–12 mm long; side lobes 6–8.5 mm long, all lobes linear, less than 1 mm wide, but the side lobes slightly wider; spur 9–12.5 mm long, ± parallel to the pedicel and ovary, swollen at apex, twisted in the middle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther erect, 2–3 mm long; canals 3.5–5 mm long, slightly incurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmatic arms 3–5 mm long, porrect, slender but enlarged and truncate at apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Rostellum mid-lobe 1.5 mm high.
Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb up to 1 m tall.
[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

  • 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