African Plant Database


Habenaria praestans Rendle
Family : ORCHIDACEAE
Information on the genus : Habenaria
 
 
Status
Status for TA : accepted (present)
 
Synonym(s) Homotypic
 Habenaria praestans Rendle var. praestans
 
Synonym(s) Heterotypic
=Habenaria ctenophora Schltr. (1915)
 
Taxon infra-specific
Habenaria praestans Rendle var. praestans
Habenaria praestans var. umbrosa G. Will.
 
Ecology and distribution
Trop. Afr.
Biology : Terrestrial herb 25-105 cm tall, ± glabrous; tubers ovoid, 1,5-3,5x1-2 cm; leaves cauline, spread, 4-12, broadly lanceolate, the largest 8-30x2,5-8 cm, decreasing in size up the stem; inflorescence compact, 10-30 cm long, 4-30-flowered; flowers resupinate, 30-40 mm Ø, green and white (lip), Plumeria (Frangipani) scented; bracts lanceolate, leafy, 30-70 mm long; pedicel and ovary 20-25 cm long; sepals broadly lanceolate, 15-30x10 mm, the dorsal erect; petals entire, curved, adherent to dorsal sepal, oblong, 15-30x3-5 mm; lip 25-40 mm long, thicky pubescent, deeply 3-lobed from claw 7-10 mm long; midlobe linear; side lobes divergent, “stag horn-like”, outer margins with 8-15 slender threads 10 mm long; spur pendent, 15-25 mm long.
Ecology : Grassland; in long grass in rocky areas; steep rocky slopes; Brachystegia, miombo woodlands; forest margins; roadsides in cultivation; kloof forest; bracken, briar; open swamps; roadcuts; stream banks; 1000-2440 m alt.
  Differs from H. splendens by its shorter spur; also similar to H. keniensis but plant larger and more striking.
 
More info on :
see under Jstor_African Plant Initiative
see under Flore d'Afrique Centrale
see under African Plants - a Photo Guide
see under Flora of Zimbabwe
 
Map
More information >> ( work in progress )
 
Record n°175944
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