Habenaria mossii (G.Will.) J.C.Manning 1989 SECTION Diphyllae

Photo by © Lourens Grobler

Common Name Moss's Habenaria [English Botanist late 1800's early 1900's]

Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]

Found in Cape Province and Transvaal South Africa at elevations of 1200 to 1800 meters as a small sized, cold growing terrestrial with 2 basal, broadly ovate to orbicular leaves and a few lanceolate, acuminate cauline leaves up the stem that blooms in the summer on a terminal, erect, fairly densely many flowered inflorescence

"Although H. mossii was described as a subspecies of H. lithophila, the reasons for doing so are not clear, for it resembles equally H. tysonii. Five of the eight South African species of Sect. Diphyllae Kraenzl. are closely related and very distinct from the remainder. Of these five, H. kraenzliniana is easily recognized by the very long, filiform lip and petal lobes, and H. dregeana by the reduced lip and petal lobes and expanded mouth to the spur. The remaining three species, H. tysonii, H. mossii and H. lithophila form a somewhat confusing assemblage. H. tysonii is recognizable by the horizontally-held flowers with narrow dorsal sepal reflexed to expose the gynostemium, the twisted upper petal lobes, the longer lower petal lobes and lip lateral lobes, the longer and usually twisted spur, the longer stigmas (reaching the lip sinuses), and the diverging anther thecae with widely spreading canals and small auricles never overtopping the canals. H. lithophila has the flowers suberect, the dorsal sepal erect and concealing the gynostemium, the upper petal lobes flat, shorter lower petal lobes and lip lateral lobes, a short and straight spur, short stigmas not reaching the lip sinuses and parallel anther canals, typically with large auricles overtopping them. H. mossii has the flowers c. horizontally spreading, at least initially, the dorsal sepal reflexed, petal and lip lobes as in H. lithophila, but a very long, twisted spur, longer stigmas reaching the lip sinuses and reduced auricles. It thus has certain features of both preceding species, yet in the length of the spur resembles neither, and is more properly recognized as a distinct species." J C Manning 1989

Synonyms *Habenaria lithophila subsp. mossii G.Will. 1983

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

J. S. African Bot. 49: 445 G Will. 1983 as Habenaria lithophila subsp. mossii

* S. African J. Bot. 55: 193 J C Manning 1989

Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999;

Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 photos fide;

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