Habenaria lithophila Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 504 (1915).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Habenaria arachnoides MacOwan ex Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 156 (1893), nom. inval.
Habenaria macowaniana Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 150 (1893), nom. illeg.
Habenaria bolusiana Schltr., Ann. Transvaal Mus. 10: 244 (1924).
Habenaria petri Schltr., Ann. Transvaal Mus. 10: 245 (1924).
Description:
A terrestrial herb 1-3 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots and inner perianth members. Tubers ellipsoid, 1.5-2.5 cm. long, 1-2 cm. in diameter, tomentose. Stem erect, slender or rather stout, with 2 large leaves at the base and numerous much smaller and narrower ones along its length. Basal leaves adpressed to the ground, opposite, ovate to nearly reniform, apiculate or rounded, slightly cordate at the base, 1.5-5.5 cm. long, 1.5-7 cm. broad, rather fleshy; stem-leaves 5-30, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, up to 2.5 cm. long, ± adpressed to the stem. Inflorescence 4-14 cm. long, 2-3.5 cm. in diameter, densely or rather densely many-flowered. Bracts similar to the stem-leaves, 1-2 cm. long, the lower longer than the pedicel with ovary. Flowers suberect to almost spreading, green to greenish-yellow; pedicel with ovary ± curved, 1-1.5 cm. long. Dorsal sepal erect, ovate-lanceolate, acute, convex, 5-7 mm. long, 2.5-4 mm. broad; laterals spreading or deflexed, very obliquely lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 5.5-8.5 mm. long, 2-3.5 mm. broad. Petals bipartite nearly to the base, glabrous, puberulous or ciliolate; posterior (upper) lobe erect, curved-ligulate or linear-ligulate, 4-6.5 mm. long, 1-2 mm. broad; anterior lobe curving upwards, narrowly linear, 4.5-10 mm. long, 0.5-1 mm. broad. Lip projecting forwards, tripartite from a short undivided base, glabrous or puberulous; lobes linear, obtuse, the middle lobe 6-9.5 mm. long, 1-1.5 mm. broad, the side lobes 5.5-8 mm. long, ± 0.5 mm. broad; spur parallel to the ovary, base slender, apical part very slightly swollen, 8-17 mm. long. Anther erect, rounded, ± 2 mm. high, canals slightly upcurved, ± I mm. long; stigmas porrect or ± decurved on to the lip, narrowly club-shaped, 1.5-3 mm. long.
Habitat:
In stony montane grasslands. 2800 m.
Phenology:
Flowering in February.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, warm to cold growing terrestrial.
Distribution:
The Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa.
References:
Orchidaceae of West-central Africa, vol. 1, Gdansk University Press Gdansk 2010; The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982; Flora of Tropical East Africa Part 1 Summerhayes 1968; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 1 Pope 1995; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008; African Orchids: XXIX V. S. Summerhayes, Kew Bulletin, Vol. 17, No. 3 (1964), pp. 511-561, Orchidées nouvelles du Zaïre D. Geerinck, Bulletin du Jardin botanique national de Belgique / Bulletin van de National Plantentuin van België, Vol. 57, No. 3/4 (Dec. 31, 1987), pp. 481-484
Images:
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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.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.