Species Information - Habenaria rumphii

Habenaria rumphii (Brongn.) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1835) 320

Type:

Synonyms:

• Platanthera rumphii Brongn. in Duperrey, Voy. Monde, Bot. (1829) 104, t. 38, f. A
  - Type: D'Urville s.n. (holo P)
• Habenaria rumphii (Brongn.) Lindl. var. javanica J.J.Sm., Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 2, 14 (1914) 12
  - Type: Backer 5779 (iso L 2x); 6217
• Habenaria rumphii (Brongn.) Lindl. var. meraukensis J.J.Sm., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 22 (1909) 6
  - Type: Branderhorst 301 (holo BO)
• Habenaria dahliana Kraenzl., Orchid. Gen. Sp. 1 (1898) 466
  - Type: Dahl s.n. (Kaiser Wilhelmsland, Ralum) (holo B, lost)
• Habenaria holtzei F.Muell., J. Roy. Soc. N. S. Wales 24 (1890) (1801) 128
  - Type: Holtze s.n. (Arnheim's Land) (holo MEL)
• Habenaria stauroglossa Kraenzl. in K.Schum. & Hollr., Fl. Kais. Wilh. Land (1889) 35
  - Type: Hollrung 319 (holo B, lost)

Tuber oblongoid. Stem erect, 10-25 cm long, 3-4-leaved, at the base with 2-3 tubular sheaths. Leaf sheaths 2-6 cm long, tubular. Leaves erect-patent, lanceolate-linear, narrowed to the base, 9-17 by 0.9-1.1 cm, apex gradually acuminate, tip acute. Inflorescence racemose, erect; peduncle 24-32 cm long, peduncle-scales 3-6, lanceolate-linear to subulate, setaceous-acuminate, to 5.5 cm long, the lower ones sheathing, the upper ones becoming smaller; rachis 5-8 cm long, densely many-flowered. Floral bracts erect, subulate, 2 by 0.23 cm, apex long setaceous-acuminate, concave, keeled, 1-nerved. Ovary 1.35 cm long, beaked, the beak 0.3 cm long. Flowers 1.7 cm long. Median sepal erect, ovate, 0.45 by 0.23 cm, concave, 3-nerved, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals reflexed, falcate-ovate, 0.55 by 0.24 cm, 3-nerved, apex obtuse. Petals erect, falcate-oblong, narrowed to the apex, 0.45 by 0.15 cm, 2-nerved, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed, spurred, concave at the base; lateral lobes patent, subulate, 0.18 cm long, much narrower than the mid-lobe, rather obtuse; mid-lobe sublinear, narrowed to the apex, 0.53 cm long, at the base a little more than 0.1 cm wide, rather obtuse; spur pendent, clavate, 1.25 cm long, obtuse. Column erect, 0.2 cm long, stigmatophores appressed to the lip, carnose, obtuse, slightly longer than the anther channels; mid-lobe of the rostellum low, obtuse. Anther channels short.
(After Smith, 1909, as Habenaria rumphii var. meraukensis J.J.Sm.).

Note: Normally, Habenaria rumphii has longer lateral lobes to the lip than here described for var. meraukensis. This variety is otherwise identical with H. rumphii, and we consider it to be just a local form.

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