Habenaria pauper Summerh.

A terrestrial herb 2.5–6.5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers narrowly ellipsoid, 1.5 cm. long, 0.5 cm. in diameter, very sparsely tomentose.. Stem slender, erect, leafy throughout its length.. Leaves 8–12, the lowermost sometimes sheath-like, the lowest 3–6 suberect, linear or narrowly lanceolate, the largest 5–20 cm. long, 6–12 mm. broad, the upper leaves much smaller, bract-like, adpressed to the stem, lanceolate, acuminate.. Inflorescence 5–14 cm. long, 1.5–2 cm. in diameter, rather densely 10–40-flowered.. Bracts lanceolate, acuminate, 5–13 mm. long, usually distinctly shorter than the pedicel with ovary.. Flowers suberect or ± curved outwards, mainly white; pedicel with ovary slightly curved, 8–12 mm. long.. Dorsal sepal ± reflexed, elliptical, obtuse, convex, 3–4 mm. long, ± 2 mm. broad; laterals deflexed, very obliquely obovate or semi-orbicular, 3–5 mm. long, ± 3 mm. broad above the middle.. Petals bipartite nearly to the base; posterior (upper) lobe linear, 2.5–4 mm. long, scarcely 0.5 mm. broad, anterior lobe oblance-olate or obcuneate, usually a little shorter than the posterior lobe but ± 1 mm. broad.. Lip 3-lobed nearly to the base; middle lobe linear, incurved, 5–6.5 mm. long, scarcely 0.5 mm. broad; side lobes narrower, 3–4 mm. long.. Spur parallel to the ovary, cylindrical with a slightly swollen apex, 6–8 mm. long.. Anther erect, 1.5–3.5 mm. high, canals porrect, ± 2.5 mm. long.. Stigmas horizontal, narrow at base, much swollen and truncate at apex, ± 2.5 mm. long.. Rostellum narrowly triangular, acute, ± 2 mm. long.

Damp or stony grasslands.