Habenaria agasthyamalaiana Jalal, Jayanthi & P.Suresh Kumar 2019 SECTION Plantagineae

Comparrison between P luctosa and P tenuisepala

LCDP Photos by Mark Wilson

Common Name The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve Habenaria

Flower Size .8” [2 cm]

Found in Kerala state of India at eelvations around 550 meters as a medium sized, warm growing terrestrial with a solitary oblong tuber giving rise to 5 to 7, subradical, basally clustered, oblong-elliptic, entire, wavy margined, acute at apex, 3-veined with midrib prominent than lateral veined leaves tapering below into the clasping leaf sheath that blooms in the fall on a terminal, racemose, peduncle 9.2 to 11.6” [23 to 29 cm] long, provided with 6 to 11 foliaceous, larger below, smaller above bracts, rachis [5 to 6 cm] long, 8 to 11 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, margin entire, semiamplexicaul, basally, acuminae apically, shorter than the ovary floral bracts nad carrying resupinate, white flowers.

”Habenaria agasthyamalaiana is distinguishable by having subradical leaves, with conspicuous flowers, with 3-lobed lip, bifurcate midlobe shorter than lateral lobes. It is closely similar to H. crinifera but differs by having up to 11 flowers in inflorescence, floral bracts entire at margin, side lobes of lip longer than midlobe, side lobes acuminate at apex and midlobe bifurcate with obtuse lobes (vs. side lobes and midlobe of lip with long caudate apex)” Jalal, Jayanthi & Kumar 2019

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Lankesteriana 19(2). 92 2019 photo fide

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