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Narrow-Petal Habenaria
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Narrow-Petal Habenaria
P Native Photo: Paulmathi Vinod
Common name: Narrow-Petal Habenaria
Botanical name: Habenaria stenopetala    Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Synonyms: Habenaria amanoana, Habenaria linearipetala, Habenaria sutepensis

Narrow-Petal Habenaria is a terrestrial orchid 40-80 cm tall. Stem is erect, round, stout, with 5-8 leaves near middle and many bractlike leaves above. Leaf blade is elliptic or oblong to oblong-lanceshaped, 8-16 x 3-5.5 cm, base contracted into stem-clasping sheath, tip pointed or tapering. Flowers are borne in a densely many flowered raceme, 10-20 cm long. Floral bracts are lanceshaped or ovate-lanceshaped, 1.5-2.8 × 0.4-0.6 cm, often longer than flowers, tip aristate. Ovary is twisted, cylindric-spindle-shaped, including flower-stalk 1.5-2.2 cm, hairless. Flowers are green or greenish white. Dorsal sepal erect, ovate-elliptic, concave, 1.4-1.6 x 0.4-0.5 cm, 3-veined, tip long tapering or with a tail-aristate; lateral sepals reflexed, obliquely ovate, 1.6-1.8 x 0.5-0.6 cm, 3-veined, tip long tapering or with a tail-aristate. Petals are slightly shorter and narrower than dorsal sepal, 2-lobed; upper lobe linear, 10-13 x 1-1.8 mm, 1-veined, tip tapering; lower lobe narrowly sickle shaped, small, about 2.5 mm; lip brownish, 10-15 mm, deeply 3-lobed from base; lateral lobes linear or subulate, shorter than mid-lobe; mid-lobe linear or strap-shaped, wider than lateral lobes; spur drooping, cylindric, 1.5-2.6 cm, about as long as or longer than ovary, tip blunt; stigmas oblong-club-shaped. Narrow-Petal Habenaria is found in broad-leaved forests or forest margins, at altitudes of 300-1800 m, in India, Japan, Kashmir, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, China. Flowering: August-October.

Identification credit: Ashutosh Sharma Photographed in Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh.

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