Habenaria dregeana Lindl., Ann. Nat. Hist. 4: 314 (1840).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Habenaria dregeana var. calva Rchb.f., Flora 48: 179 (1865).
Habenaria calva (Rchb.f.) Rolfe in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 7: 226 (1898).
Habenaria friesii Schltr. in R.E.Fries, Wiss. Erg. Schwed. Rhod.-Kongo Exped. 1: 240 (1916).
Description:
A terrestrial herb 1-4.5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots and inner perianth members. Tubers ellipsoid, 1.5-2 cm. long, ± 1 cm. in diameter, closely tomentose. Stem erect, slender to rather stout, with 2 large leaves at the base and numerous much smaller ones along its length. Basal leaves adpressed to the ground, opposite, ovate to almost reniform, apiculate to rounded, usually somewhat cordate at the base, 2.5-4.5 cm. long, 3-6.5 cm. broad, rather fleshy; stem-leaves 7-25, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, ± adpressed to the stem, up to 2.5 cm. long. Inflorescence 4-18 cm. long, 2-2.5 cm. in diameter, very densely many-flowered. Bracts similar to the stem-leaves, lanceolate, 1-2.5 cm. long, the lower ones longer than the pedicel with ovary. Flowers suberect or curving outwards, green, yellow-green or yellow, fragrant; pedicel with ovary ± 1 cm. long. Dorsal sepal erect, ovate, acute, convex, 4-7 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad; laterals spreading, very obliquely ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, 4.5-7.5 mm. long, ± 3 mm. broad. Petals bipartite from near the base, glabrous, shortly puberulous and/or ciliolate; posterior (upper) lobe erect, adherent to the dorsal sepal, curved, lanceolate-linear or narrowly lanceolate, acute, 3.5-6 mm. long, 1-2 mm. broad; anterior lobe curved upwards, much smaller than the posterior, 1-4.5 mm. long, ± 0.5 mm. broad. Lip projecting forwards, 3-lobed from a short undivided base; middle lobe linear-ligulate or lanceolate-linear, subacute, 4-7.5 mm. long, just over 1 mm. broad, the side lobes divergent, shorter and narrower, 1.5-5 mm. long, 0.5 mm. broad, the lobes usually glabrous, rarely papillose or ciliolate; spur dependent, with a rather thick base and swollen apical part, 8-13 mm. long. Anther erect, rounded or apiculate, ± 2 mm. high, canals horizontal, ± 1 mm. long; stigmas porrect or slightly curved downwards, narrowly club-shaped, 2-3 mm. long, rostellum broadly triangular, very short.
Habitat:
Short grasslands on lava, open woodlands. 1800-2000 m.
Phenology:
Flowering in March-April.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, cool growing terrestrial.
Distribution:
The Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), Angola, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
References:
Orchidaceae of West-central Africa, vol. 1, Gdansk University Press Gdansk 2010; 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; Flora Capensis, Vol 5, Part 3, page 3, (1913) Author: (By R. A. ROLFE.)
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.

Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ
Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.