Habenaria tridens Lindl., Companion Bot. Mag. 2: 208 (1837).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Habenaria gerrardii Rchb.f., Otia Bot. Hamburg.: 97 (1881).
Habenaria barberae Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 20(50): 7 (1895).
Description:
Slender terrestrial herb 18–32 cm high. Stem leafy along its length. Leaves 8–10, the lowermost 2–3 sheath-like, the upper 2–3 bract-like, those in the middle 4.5–11 × 0.5–1 cm, narrowly lanceolate to linear. Inflorescence 5–12 × 1 cm fairly laxly up to c. 20-flowered; bracts c. 15 × 4 mm, lanceolate, acute. Flowers pale green. Ovary and pedicel 8–14 mm long. Dorsal sepal 3–3.6 × 2.5–3 mm, ovate, erect, convex; lateral sepals 4.5–5.2 × 2–2.2 mm, obliquely lanceolate, deflexed. Petals 2-lobed almost to base, the lobes more or less opaque; upper lobe 3–3.5 × 1.2 mm; lower lobe c. 2 × 0.4 mm. Lip 3-lobed with basal undivided part 1.3 mm long, all lobes linear; mid-lobe c. 3.5 × 0.5 mm; side lobes c. 2.4 mm long, slightly narrower than mid-lobe; spur 8–10 mm long, slender, pendent. Anther 1.3 mm high; canals very short, 0.4 mm long. Stigmas c. 1 mm long.
Habitat:
Wet ground, rocky stream bed, standing in running water forc. 2 months before flowering 300–600 m.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, warm to cool growing terrestrial.
Distribution:
S. Trop. & S. Africa
References:
Flora Zambesiaca Vol. 11 Orchidaceae Part 1 Pope 1996; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty Grobler & Burns 2008
Images:
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Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ
Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.