Habenaria dentata [Sw.]Schlechter 1919 SECTION Habenariae Photo courtesy of Wilford Neptune.

Plant and flowers in situ in Thailand

Flowers Without Side Lobes Photo courtesy of David Keuhn.

To

Common Name The Toothed Habenaria

Flower Size 3/5" [1.8 cm]

This medium to large sized, cool to warm growing terrestrial orchid is found in the Assam, eastern Himalayas, Nepal, western Himalayas, Bhutan, Myanamar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, Ryukyu Islands, China, Taiwan and Japan in open secondary grasslands, in semi-deciduous and deciduous dry lowland forests and savana-like woodlands at elevations of 700 meters to around 1200 meters with a leafy stem carrying oblong-elliptic to ovate-elliptic, acute or obtuse leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, erect, several flowered [15], racemose inflorescence with linear-lanceolate, acuminate floral bracts that are longer than the ovary. What a gorgeous flower!

Synonyms Habenaria dentata f. ecalcarata (King & Pantl.) Tuyama 1966; Habenaria dentata subsp. ecalcarata (King & Pantl.) Panigrahi & Murti 1999; Habenaria dentata var. tohoensis (Hayata) S.S.Ying 1977; Habenaria finetiana Schltr. 1919; Habenaria geniculata D.Don 1825; Habenaria geniculata var. ecalcarata King & Pantl. 1898; Habenaria miersiana Champ. ex Benth. 1855; Habenaria miersiana var. yunnanensis Finet 1898; Habenaria sieboldiana Miq. 1866; Habenaria tienensis Tang & F.T.Wang 1936; Habenaria tohoensis Hayata 1914; *Orchis dentata Sw. 1800; Orchis geniculata Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don 1825; Plantaginorchis dentata (Sw.) Szlach 2004; Plantaginorchis finetiana (Schltr.) Szlach. 2004; Platanthera dentata Lindl. 1840; Platanthera geniculata (D.Don) Lindl. in N.Wallich 1832

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/1995 as H geniculata; Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984; The Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen & Mori 1997; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2007

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