Home | > | List of families | > | Orchidaceae | > | Habenaria | > | leucotricha |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Terrestrial herb up to 20 cm tall growing from an ellipsoid tuber c. 1-2 x 0.5-1 cm; stem erect, rather slender, with a single leaf at the base and a few sheaths at intervals, covered with spreading white hairs; leaf adpressed to the ground, orbicular, broadly orbicular or ovate-orbicular, obtuse or apiculate, cordate at the base, 2.5–4 cm. long, 2.7–6 cm. broad, glabrous beneath, with white scattered hairs on the upper surface, the margins ciliate, sometimes whitish with green reticulations; inflorescence 3–10 cm. long, rather closely 3–12-flowered, rhachis with spreading hairs; bracts lanceolate, very acute, 6–10 mm. long, hairy; flowers suberect or ± spreading, white or rarely yellow, pedicel with ovary 10–13 mm. long, densely hairy; dorsal sepal erect, elliptical, obtuse, convex, 8–12 mm. long, ± 5 mm. broad; laterals spreading, obliquely elliptical-lanceolate, acute, 9–11 mm. long, 3.5–4.5 mm. broad, all sepals hairy outside; petals 2-lobed nearly to the base, upper lobe erect, curved lanceolate-linear, acute, c. 8 x 1.75 mm, with a few cilia on the outer margin, lower lobe deflexed, linear, 8–12 x 0.5 mm, glabrous; lip 3-lobed from an undivided base c. 1 mm. long, glabrous; middle lobe deflexed, broadly linear, obtuse, 9.5–11 mm x 1.5–2 mm; side lobes curved upwards, usually a little longer than the middle lobe but only half as broad; spur abruptly incurved about the middle, the apical half swollen, 12–16.5 mm. long. Var. leucotricha differs from the other subspecies in having a geniculate spur with an acute apex and lip side lobes up to 12 mm long. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | leucotricha : with white hairs; |
Habitat: | |
Altitude range: | |
Flowering time: | Dec - Jan |
Worldwide distribution: | Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia |
Malawi distribution: | N |
Growth form(s): | Terrestrial. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 326. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 129. La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1) Pages 140 - 142. La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Page 92. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 121. Williamson, G. (1977). The Orchids of South Central Africa J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London. Pages 61 - 62. as Habenaria leucotricha (Includes a picture). |
Home | > | List of families | > | Orchidaceae | > | Habenaria | > | leucotricha |