Habenaria katangensis Summerh. 1964 SECTION Diphyllae
TYPE Drawing and Collection sheet by © Summerhayes
TYPE Drawing by © Geerinck
LATE
EARLY
Common Name The Katanga Habenaria [An Area of Zaire]
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
Found in Zaire in savannahs at elevations of 600 to 1000 meters as a medium sized, warm growing terrestrial with a tuber giving rise to a single, adpressed to the ground, cordate, subcircular,largely ovate leaf that blooms in the late spring and early summer on an erect, 12 to 16" [30 to 40 cm] long, rachis 3.6 to 6.4" [9 to 16 cm] long, slightly angled, 15 to 20 flowered inflorescence, with the lower floral bracts longer than the pedicels and carrying resupinate, green flowers.
"Very similar to H decurvirostris in the numerous narrow bract-like cauline leaves, the tendency of the flowers to blacken when dried and the deflexed anterior petal lobe. In column structure they are quite different, H katangensis has a lopw amd sessile anther and much shorter anther-canals consequently arising just above the spur orifice. H decurvirostris has a tall anther with a marked sessile stalk, the anther canals and lateral arms of the rostellum therefore arising from about half way up the column and being somewhat decurved." Summer hayes 1964
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Kew Bull. 17: 523 Summerhayes 1964 drawing fide
Flore D'Afrique Centrale [Zaire- Rwands - Burundi] Orhidaceae Premeir parte Geerink 1984 drawing fide;
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