Habenaria gonatosiphon Summerh.

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Habenaria

Characteristics

A terrestrial herb 2.5–7.5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers ovoid, ellipsoid or elongate-conical, 1.5–3.5 cm. long, 1–1.5 cm. in diameter, sparsely tomentose.. Stem erect, rather slender, leafy throughout its length.. Leaves 5–10, the lowermost 1–2 reduced to sheaths, the middle ones suberect, ovate to lanceolate, acute, the largest 3.5–11 cm. long and 1.5–3.5 cm. broad, the upper ones smaller, lanceolate, acute, similar to the bracts.. Inflorescence 3–14 cm. long, 5–8 cm. in diameter, rather loosely 2–9-flowered.. Bracts leafy, broadly lanceolate to lanceolate, acuminate, 1–3.5 cm. long, distinctly shorter than the pedicel with ovary.. Flowers suberect, white or cream-coloured, sometimes tinged green; pedicel with ovary rather slender, 4–6 cm. long.. Dorsal sepal erect, broadly elliptical, obtuse, very convex, ± 1 cm. long and 6 mm. broad; laterals defiexed but spreading, obliquely semi-orbicular, subacute, 1–1.4 cm. long, 7–8.5 mm. broad.. Petals bipartite nearly to the base; posterior (upper) lobe erect, adherent to the dorsal sepal, linear or ligulate, ± 1 cm. long, 1–2 mm. broad; anterior lobe curved upwards and outwards like a short horn, 1.3–1.7 cm. long, ± 2 mm. broad.. Lip ± defiexed, tripartite from an undivided base ± 2 mm. long; middle lobe ligulate, obtuse, 1.2–1.8 cm. long, rather fleshy; side lobes diverging, narrowly lanceolate, acute, ± 1 cm. long; all lobes 1.5–3 mm. broad.. Spur projecting forwards at the base and then recurved to form a knee-like bend, swollen near the apex, 5.5–6.5 cm. long.. Anther erect, 4.5–6 mm. high, canals porrect or ± incurved, 2–3 mm. long.. Stigmas thick, widened and truncate at the apex, channelled along the top, ± 6 mm. long.. Rostellum triangular, acute, ± 3.5 mm. long.
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Lip 3-lobed, with undivided basal part c. 2 mm long; mid-lobe 12–18 × 1–3 mm, ligulate, obtuse; side lobes diverging, 10–15 × 2–3 mm, narrowly lanceolate, acute; spur 4.5–6.5 cm long, projecting forwards at base for about 1 cm, then geniculately recurved, slender but swollen near apex.
Dorsal sepal erect, 9.5–12 × 6–7 mm, elliptic, obtuse, convex; lateral sepals deflexed but spreading, 10–15 × 6–8.5 mm, obliquely ovate, not usually rolled lengthwise.
Leaves 5–10, the lowermost 1–2 sheath-like, the mid-stem leaves semi-erect, the largest 3.5–11 × 1.5–3.5 cm, ovate or lanceolate; uppermost grading into the bracts.
Petals 2-lobed ± to base, upper lobe erect, 8.5–11 × 1–2 mm, linear, adnate to dorsal sepal; lower lobe 13–22 × 1.5–2 mm, curving upwards and outwards.
Inflorescence 3–14 × 5–8 cm, fairly laxly to fairly densely 2–10-flowered; bracts to 3.5 cm long.
Terrestrial herb 25–75 cm tall; tubers to 3.5 × 1.5 cm, ovoid or ellipsoid.
Anther erect, 4.5–6 mm high; canals 2–3 mm long, porrect.
Flowers white or cream, sometimes green-tinged.
Rostellum mid-lobe triangular, c. 3.5 mm long.
Stigmas c. 6 mm long, truncate at apex.
Pedicel and ovary 4–6 cm long.
Stem slender, leafy.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
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Mature height (meter) 0.25 - 0.75
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

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Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
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Distribution

Habenaria gonatosiphon world distribution map, present in Tanzania, United Republic of and Zambia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:637321-1
WFO ID wfo-0000977705
COL ID 3J3VD
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Habenaria gonatosiphon Macrura gonatosiphon