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  2. Orchidoideae
  3. Tribe Orchideae
  4. Subtribe Habenariinae
  5. Genus Habenaria
  6. Genus Habenaria
  7. Habenaria petitiana

Habenaria petitiana (A.Rich.) T.Durand & Schinz, Consp. Fl. Afric. 5: 83 (1894).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Peristylus petitianus A.Rich., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., II, 14: 266 (1840).
Platanthera petitiana (A.Rich.) Engl., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1891: 179 (1892).
Pseudoperistylus petitianus (A.Rich.) Szlach. & Olszewski, in Fl. Cameroun 34: 213 (1998).
Montolivaea petitiana (A.Rich.) Szlach., Polish Bot. J. 46: 129 (2001).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Herminium natalense Rchb.f., Otia Bot. Hamburg.: 108 (1881).
Herminium steudneri Rchb.f., Otia Bot. Hamburg.: 109 (1881).
Platanthera natalensis (Rchb.f.) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 20(50): 6 (1890).
Habenaria microrhynchos Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 20(50): 36 (1895).
Platanthera volkensiana Kraenzl. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas, C: 151 (1895).
Peristylus steudneri (Rchb.f.) Rolfe in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 7: 200 (1898).
Peristylus volkensianus (Kraenzl.) Rolfe in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 7: 199 (1898).
Peristylus natalensis (Rchb.f.) Rolfe in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(3): 115 (1912).
Peristylus snowdenii Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1918: 237 (1918).
Peristylus ugandensis Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1918: 237 (1918).
Peristylus brachylobos Summerh., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1931: 382 (1931).
Habenaria brachylobos (Summerh.) Summerh., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1933: 248 (1933).
Description:

Terrestrial herb 25–55 cm high with an ellipsoid tuber 1–2.5 cm long.Leaves 5–9, spaced along stem, the 2 lowest sheathing, the rest 4–9 × 2–6.5 cm, ovate, acute, the edge often undulate, clasping the stem at the base.Inflorescence 5–20 cm long, laxly to fairly densely many-flowered; bracts 7–15 mm long, lanceolate, acute, longer than the flowers.Flowers green.Ovary and pedicel c. 5 mm long, arched at apex.Sepals 2–3 × 1 mm; dorsal erect, ovate, convex; lateral sepals spreading, elliptic.Petals entire, 2–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm, obliquely oblong, obtuse.Lip 2.5–4 mm long and wide, 3-lobed in the apical half; side lobes slightly longer than mid-lobe, all lobes ± triangular, obtuse; spur 1–1.5 mm long, thick and blunt.Anther c. 1 mm tall, canals absent.Stigmatic arms c. 1 mm long.
Notes:

Plants from the Flora Zambesiaca area tend to have laxer inflorescences with fewer flowers than those from East Africa.
Habitat:

Evergreen forest, in dense shade 1250–2300 m.
Distribution:

Cameroon to Eritrea and S. Africa

Images:
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Botanical Drawing / Herbarium
habenaria petitiana
Photograph copyright Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission.