Habenaria dryadum Schltr. 1906 SECTION Acuiferae
photo by © Andre Schuiteman
Drawing by © Howcroft
Type Drawing/collection sheet by © Schlechter
LATER 
Common Name The Forest Loving Habenaria
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found in New Guinea in thick shrub forests at elevations around 50 to 760 meters as a medium to large sized, hot to warm growing terrestrial with an erect stem carrying in the middle 6 to 10, close set, held in a rosette of lanceolate-acuminate leaves that blooms in the later summer on an erect, terminal, densely cylindrical, 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, aristate-acuminate, a bit shorter to a bit longer than the ovary floral bracts.
According to Andre Schuteman H multicaudata is remarkably similar.
"Habenaria dryadum can be distinguished from H. dracaenifolia by having acuminate leaves with bristle-like mucro (vs leaves acuminate), shorter anterior petal lobes .6 to .72" vs .88 to .92" (15 to 18 mm vs 22 to 23 mm), shorter lip lateral lobes .76 to .8" vs .88 to .92" (19 to 20 mm vs 22 to 23 mm) and longer spur .8 to .92" vs .64 to .72" (20 to 23 mm vs 16 to 18 mm). The taxonomic status of both species requires further study. H. dryadum var. major differs from the typical variety in the more robust habit, larger flowers and the more incurved spur." Kolanowska etal 2021
Synonyms Habenaria dryadum var. major Schltr. 1911; Habenaria epiphylla Schltr. 1905
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Fl. Schutzgeb. Südsee, Nachtr.: 78 Schlechter 1905 as H epiphylla nom illegal;
*Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 3: 80 Schlechter 1906
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1: 67 The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1911
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1: 75 The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1911 drawing fide;
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1: 67 The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1911 as Habenaria dryadum var. major;
A Guide to the Monocotyledons of Papua New Guinea Part 4 Orchidaceae [in Part] Howcroft 1984 drawing fide;
Checklist of Papusian Orchids Ormerod 2017;
Malesian Orchid Journal Vol 20 2017 photo fide;
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