Habenaria strangulans Summerh. 1962 SECTION Replicatae

Drawing © by Mary Grierson

LATE EARLY

Common Name The ? Habenaria

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Angola, Malawi and Zambia in open woodlands at elevations around 1100 to 1200 meters as a small to medium sized, cool growing terrestrial with ovoid, wooly tubers giving rise to a leafy stem carrying about 14, lowermost 1 to 2 sheathing, the next 4 to 6 suberect, linear, the uppermost becoming bract-like leaves that blooms in the late summer and early fall on a terminal, erect, 3.2 to 8" [8 to 20 cm] long, densely to fairly laxly, 10 to 30 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acumiante, shorter than the ovary floral bracts carrying green, flowers

"This species resembles H. anaphysema in general appearance, both having rather narrow leaves in the lower part of the stem, but may be distinguished by the very different spur. In H anaphysema this is considerably shorter than the ovary nand is incurved sharply just below the base of the swollen apical part. In H. strangulans, on the other hand, the spur equals the ovary and pedicel in length while the apical part is curved more or less closely round the pedicel; from this feature the specific epithet is derived." Summerhayes

Easily separated from others by the spur wrapping around the pedicel in the distal half." Szlach etal 2010

Synonyms Bilabrella strangulans (Summerh.) Szlach. & Kras-Lap. 2003

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Kew Bull. 16: 293 Summerhayes 1962

The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing fide;

Flora of Zambia Vol 11 Part 1 Pope 1995 drawing fide;

Richardiana 3: 142 Szlach. & Kras-Lap. 2003 as Bilabrella strangulans

Orchidaceae of West Central Africa Vol 1: 233 Szlach etal 2010 as Bilabrella strangulans;

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