Habenaria richardsiae Summerh. 1960 SECTION Pentaceras

TYPE Drawing by © Wight and The Plant Illustrations Webpage

Part shadeCool Spring

Common Name Richard's Habenaria [Mrs M A Richards English Rhodesian orchid Enthusiast 1900s]

Flower Size

Found in southwestern Tanzania in wet meadows at elevations arounnd 1830 to 2100 meters as a small sized, cool growing terrestrial with an oblong, very sparsely tomentose-pilose tuber giving rise to an erect, slender, leafy throughout stem carrying 5 to 9 leaves, the lowermost 2 sheathlike, the next 2 to 3 almost basal, suberect, lanceolate, acute leaves the remainder smaller, more or less adpressed to the stem, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate leaves that blooms in the spring on an erect, 2.4 to 3.6" [6 to 9 cm] long, rather loosely 4 to 7 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acuminate, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying outwardy curving, probably green flowers.

"This species, like its closest coneger H magnirostris, combines in its general features the two sections Chlorinae and Pentaceras. H magnirostris has bipartite petals but the floral structure and vegetative characters are very similar to those of species like H filicornis. From the other species of sect. Pentaceras, in which section it is best placed on account of the bipartite petals and clavate not capitate stigmas, it also differs in the general leaf arrangment. In most species of this section the lower part of the stem bears sheaths only, the foliage leaves being borne in the middle of the stem up to the base of the inflorescence. H richardsiae, on the other hand, has 2 sheaths close together at the base of the stem and immediately above these are 2 to 3 floiage leaves which are thus almost basal in position. The upper part of the stem bears a number of much smaller bract-like leaves or sheaths. H richardsiae also differs in the rounded apex of the spur that is not obtuse or bilobed, the rostellum intermediate lobe is dentiform and is hidden between the anther lcules and the anther canals are three times shorter." Summerhayes 1960

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

"This species, like its closest coneger H magnirostris, combines in its general features the two sections Chlorinae and Pentaceras. H magnirostris has bipartite petals but the floral structure and vegetative characters are very similar to those of species like H filicornis. From the other species of sect. Pentaceras, in which section it is best placed on account of the bipartite petals and clavate not capitate stigmas, it also differs in the general leaf arrangment. In most species of this section the lower part of the stem bears sheaths only, the foliage leaves being borne in the middle of the stem up to the base of the inflorescence. H richardsiae, on the other hand, has 2 sheaths close together at the base of the stem and immediately above these are 2 to 3 foliage leaves which are thus almost basal in position. The upper part of the stem bears a number of much smaller bract-like leaves or sheaths. H richardsiae also differs in the rounded apex of the spur that is not obtuse or bilobed, the rostellum intermediate lobe is dentiform and is hidden between the anther lcules and the anther canals are three times shorter.

"This species, like its closest coneger H magnirostris, combines in its general features the two sections Chlorinae and Pentaceras. H magnirostris has bipartite petals but the floral structure and vegetative characters are very similar to those of species like H filicornis. From the other species of sect. Pentaceras, in which section it is best placed on account of the bipartite petals and clavate not capitate stigmas, it also differs in the general leaf arrangment. In most species of this section the lower part of the stem bears sheaths only, the foliage leaves being borne in the middle of the stem up to the base of the inflorescence. H richardsiae, on the other hand, has 2 sheaths close together at the base of the stem and immediately above these are 2 to 3 floiage leaves which are thus almost basal in position. The upper part of the stem bears a number of much smaller bract-like leaves or sheaths. H richardsiae also differs in the rounded apex of the spur that is not obtuse or bilobed, the rostellum intermediate lobe is dentiform and is hidden between the anther lcules and the anther canals are three times shorter. " Summerhayes 1960

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Kew Bull. 14: 132 Summerhayes 1960

Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 1: 82 Summerhayes 1968

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------