Habenaria medusa - Medusa Habenaria

Medusa Habenaria is a medium sized, terrestrial orchid with 4 to 5, lanceshaped, pointed, somewhat heart-shaped basally, leaves. Flowers are borne in a raceme at the top, up to about 30 cm long, bearing 7-10 or more flowers. Flowers are about 9 cm across. White petals united at the base of the dorsal sepal, linear with blunt tip, about 6 mm long and 1 mm broad. Trilobed lip, 2-2.5 cm long and 3.5-4 cm broad, with the lateral lobes deeply divided in 36-40 thread-like segments, radially arranged, inspiring comparison with Medusa in Greek mythology, the lady with snakes as hairs.The linear median lobe is 0.5 cm long, and thread-like spur at the base 2.5-3.5 cm long. The tuber that has vegetated dies by the end of the summer after having produced new tubers for the successive cycle. Medusa Habenaria is native to Malesia, cultivated elsewhere.