Orchidaceae
Habenaria

Habenaria xanthochlora Schltr.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 496 (1915)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. 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 40–50 cm high.
Morphology Stem
Stem leafy; leaves 6–10× 1–3.5 cm, lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 10–20 cm long, fairly densely many-flowered; bracts up to 27 mm long at base of inflorescence, overtopping the flower, lanceolate, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers green outside, yellow inside, turning very dark brown (darker than leaves and bracts) when dry.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Ovary and pedicel 8 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal 6–7 × 2–3 mm, broadly lanceolate, acute, erect; lateral sepals spreading, a little longer and narrower than dorsal sepal, oblong or oblong-elliptic, obtuse to subacute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals entire, c. 5.5 × 1 mm, narrowly lanceolate, curved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 5.5–7 mm long, 3-lobed with undivided base c. 2 mm long; all lobes narrowly lanceolate, acute, the mid-lobe longer and broader than the side lobes; spur 5–6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmatic arms clavate, c. 2 mm long.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
A terrestrial herb 4–7 dm. high.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers ovoid or ellipsoid, 1.5–2.5 cm. long, 8–15 mm. in diameter.
Morphology Stem
Stem rather flexuous, leafy.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 8–12, the lowermost 2 or 3 sheath-like, the intermediate 4–6 lanceolate, acute, up to 10 cm. long and 2 cm. broad, the upper ones smaller, similar to the bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 10–20 cm. long, ± 2 cm. in diameter, rather closely many-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts leafy, overlapping, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, up to 4 cm. long, mostly longer than the flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers curved outwards, green outside, yellow inside, glabrous; ovary sessile, ± 1 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal broadly lanceolate, obtuse, 6–7 mm. long; laterals defiexed, obliquely lanceolate, ± 6.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals curved-lanceolate, obtuse, nearly as long as the dorsal sepal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 3-lobed from a broad undivided base, 6–7 mm. long; lobes narrowly lanceolate, acute, the middle lobe longer and broader than the side lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur pendent, cylindrical, 5–6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther short, loculi parallel, canals very short.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas club-shaped. 2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Rostellum middle lobe lanceolate-elliptical, acute, overtopping the anther.
Habitat
Upland grassland; 1800–2000 m.
Distribution
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: 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