Habenaria dracaenifolia Schltr. 1905 SECTION Acuiferae
Photos by Karl Senghas/type drawing by Schlechter © Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz
Common Name The Dracaenia-Like Leaf Habenaria
Flower Size
Found in New Guinea in humus in in lowland rainforest at elevations of 50 to 800 meters as a giant sized, hot to warm growing terrestrial that is leafless in the basal part, with several, above the middle part of the stem, arranged in a rosette, erect-patent to patent, lanceolate, acuminate leaves that blooms in the fall on a up to about 10" [25 cm] long, rachis 6 to 8.8" [15 to 22 cm] long, rather densely several to many-flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acuminate longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying green or creamy green flowers.
"Habenaria dracaenifolia can be distinguished from H. novae-hiberniae based on the length of stigmaphores which are slightly longer than the anther channels (vs equally long in H. novae-hiberniae). Moreover, the anther channels of H. novae-hiberniae are ascending (vs. parallel to stigmaphores). The flowers of this species are green or creamy green, whereas those of H. novae-hiberniae are greenish-yellow. When describing both, H. dracaenifolia and H. novae-hiberniae, Schlechter probably considered them different also in flower size (dorsal sepal .24" [6 mm] long in H. novae-hiberniae vs .48" [12 mm] long in H. dracaenifolia according to original descriptions), but in the course of our study we found this character to be variable and it cannot be used as a distinguishing trait. Further research, preferably genetic, should be made to evaluate the distinctness of these two species. Habenaria dracaenifolia and H. dryadum are very similar in many respects, and it cannot be excluded that they are conspecific. To the best of our knowledge H. dracaenifolia can be separated from H. dryadum by acuminate leaves without bristle-like mucro, longer anterior petal lobes and lip lateral lobes, and shorter spur. More extensive studies are necessary to confirm whether they are reliable characters." Kolanowska etal 2021
Synonyms Habenaria dracaenifolia var. laxa Schltr. 1911
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach, Fl. Schutzgeb. Südsee, Nachtr.: 77 1905
The Orchidaceae Of German New Guinea : 66 Schlechter 1911
The Orchidaceae Of German New Guinea : 74 Schlechter 1911 drawing fide;
The Orchidaceae Of German New Guinea : 66 Schlechter 1911 as Habenaria dracaenifolia var. laxa
The Orchidaceae Of German New Guinea : 74 Schlechter 1911 as Habenaria dracaenifolia var. laxa drawing fide;
A Guide to the Monocotyledons of Papua New Guinea Part 4 Orchidaceae [in Part] Howcroft 1984;
Checklist of Papusian Orchids Ormerod 2017;
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