Habenaria egregia Summerh. 1949 SECTION Multipartitae Kraenzl
Photo courtesy of © Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz
Drawing by © Demissew, Cribb and Rasmussen 2004
LATE
EARLY
Common Name The Outstanding Habenaria
Flower Size 2.8" [7" cm]
Found in Cameroon, Ethiopia and Kenya in bushy meadows with rocky outcrops and in bamboo thickets in shade at elevations of 1500 to 1600 meters as a medium sized, cool growing terrestrial with ovoid to ellipsoid, tomentose tubers giving rise to an erect, stout leafy stem carrying sub-erect to spreading, ovate leaves that blooms in the late spring and early summer on an erect, laxly 2 to 3 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate floral bracts and carrying very large, showy, sweetly fragrant flowers.
The largest flowered Habenaria in Ethiopia and differs from all others in the section Multipartitae in Ethiopia by having 2 to 3 large flwoes with a 1.2 to 1.6" [3 to 4 cm] long, dorsal sepal, a long spur usually over 4" [10 cm] long, and an anther connective that is ,4" [1 cm] wide.
Synonyms Kryptostoma egregium (Summerh.) Szlach. 1995; Ochyrorchis egregia (Summerh.) Szlach. 2004
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
*Kew Bull. 4: 428 Summerhayes 1949
Orchids of East Africa Piers 1968 photo fide;
Fragm. Florist. Geobot., Suppl. 3: 114 Szlach. 1995 as Kryptostoma egregium
Orchids of Kenya Stewart and Campbell 1996;
Richardiana 4: 53 Szlach. 2004 as Ochyrorchis egregia
Field Guide to Ethiopian Orchids Demissew, Cribb and Rasmussen 2004 drawing/photo fide;
Orchidaceae of West Central Africa Vol 1 Szlatchetko etal 2010 as Ochyrorchis egregia drawing fide
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