Habenaria praealta (Thouars) Spreng. 1826

Plant and Flowers in situ Reunion

Photos by © François Vandeschricke and The Orchidees de Reunion Website

Drawing

Drawing by © Thouars

Common Name The Very High Occuring Habenaria

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Reunion and Madagascar in humid, evergreen forests and riverine forests at elevations around 600 to 1500 meters as a medium to giant sized, warm to cool growing terrestrial with an erect stem enveloped by a whorl of leaf bearing sheaths carrying linear, almost grass-like, acute basally clasping leaves that blooms in the fall through winter on a terminal, erect, densely 25 to 75 flowered inflorescence with longer than the flowers below to gradually shorter than the flowers above floral bracts

Synonyms *Satyrium praealtum Thouars 1822

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Hist. Orchid.: t. 11 Thouars 1822 as Satorkis altisatis;

* Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 3: 691 Spreng 1826

Fl. Réunion: 261 Cordem 1895 as H longa nom. nud.

Repert. Specierum Nova. Regni Vegetabilis Band 33: 92 Schlechter 1925;

Historie Particulier des Plantes Orchidees Recueilles Sur Trois Iles Australes d'Afrique Thouars 1822 as Satyrium praeultrum [praealtum] drawing fide;

Flora of Madagascar Perrier 1939;

Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009 photo ok;

Orchidees de La Reunion Bernet 2010 photo fide;

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