Habenaria uncicalcar Summerh. 1962 SECTION Pentaceras [Thouars] Schlechter
Photo by © N Wightman and The Flora of Zimbabwe Website
Photo courtesy of © Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz
Drawing by © Graham Williamson
Drawing by © Margonska
Common Name The Hooked Spur Habenaria
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe in rocky areas of open woodlands at elevations of 660 to 1700 meters as a small to large sized, warm to cool growing terrestrial with ellipsoid to globose, tomentose tubers giving rise to an erect, leafy stem carrying 8 to 10, lowest 3 to 4, sheath-like, the middle ones, largest, lanceolate, acute the uppermost grading into bract-like leaves that blooms in the summer on an erect, fairly laxly to 20 flowered inflorescence with leafy floral bracts that are shorter than the fragrant, green flowers with the petals and lip tinged whitish to yellowish
The tubers of this species can be used to prepare a local Zambian dish called Chikanda and because of overcollecting it is endangered.
Synonyms Habenaria sylviae Geerinck 1977
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
*Kew Bull. 16: 271 Summerhayes 1962
Flora of Tropical East Africa Part 1 Summerhayes 1968; Notes Taxon. Orchid. Afr. Centr. 5(Habenaria): 11 Geerinck 1977 as H sylviae
The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing ok;
Flore D'Afrique Centrale [Zaire- Rwands - Burundi] Orhidaceae Premeir parte Geerink 1984;
Flora Zambesiaca Volume 11 Part one Pope 1998;
Orchidaceae of West Central Africa Vol 1: 162 Szlatchecko etal 2010 as H unicalcar drawing good
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