Orchidaceae
Habenaria

Habenaria livingstoniana la Croix & P.J.Cribb

First published in Kew Bull. 48: 359 (1993)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Malawi (E. Nyika Plateau). It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb 15–25 cm tall; tubers c. 2 × 1 cm, ellipsoid, smooth.
Morphology Stem
Stem ribbed, with 2 basal leaves and 5–9 bract-like stem leaves.
Morphology Leaves
Basal leaves appressed to the ground, the larger up to 6 × 6 cm, dark green, glabrous, ± orbicular, apiculate; the lowermost stem leaves loosely sheathing, the rest up to 2 cm long, lanceolate, acute, pale green, appressed to stem.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence compact, c. 3.5 × 3.5 cm, more or less pyramidal, densely c. 20-flowered; bracts 10 × 5 mm, lanceolate, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers glistening white, spur greenish at tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Ovary and pedicel arched, 15 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect, 8 × 6 mm, ovate, convex, acute; lateral sepals spreading, 8 × 4 mm, obliquely ovate, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 2-lobed to 1 mm from base; posterior lobe 8 × 1 mm, linear, acute, adnate to dorsal sepal; anterior lobe 13 mm long, filiform, curving up.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip projecting forwards, 3-lobed to 1 mm from base; mid-lobe 10–12 × 1.5 mm, linear-ligulate, acute; side lobes about the same length but becoming filiform from a base c. 0.5 mm wide; spur 15 mm long, tapering from a wide mouth, parallel to ovary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther erect, c. 2 mm high; canals 2 mm long, upcurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas 4 mm long, club-shaped, lying along lip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Mid-lobe of rostellum narrowly triangular, 3 mm long.
[FZ]

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

  • 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