Habenaria elliptica Wight 1851 SECTION Commelynifoliae Kraenzl 1893
Photo by © Dr. N Sasidharan and the E Flora of India Website
Photos by © P.S. Sivaprasad and the Flowers of India Website
TYPE Drawing and Collection sheet
TYPE Drawing by © Wight
LATE 
EARLY 
Common Name The Elliptic Habenaria [refers to the leaves]
Flower Size .3" [7.5mm]
Found in southwestern India in Kerala in pastures at elevations around 1400 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with an ovoid tuber giving rise to a stem with 1 to 2 basal sheaths and carrying 3 to 4, elliptic-linear, lanceolate, acute, basally clasping leaves that blooms in the late summer and early fall on a terminal, erect, to 10" [to 25 cm] long overall, densely many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acuminate, as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying bracteate, short-pediceled, greenish white flowers with a spur as long as the ovary.
Synonyms Pecteilis elliptica (Wight) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 2018; Plantaginorchis elliptica (Wight) Szlach. 2004
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 5: t. 1706 Wight 1851
Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 5: t. 1706 Wight 1851 Drawing fide
Indian Orchids Guide to Identification & Culture Vol 1 Pradhan 1976 drawing fide;
Orchids of Nilgris Joseph 1987 drawing fide;
Richardiana 4: 64 Szlach 2004 as Plantaginorchis elliptica
Austral. Orchid Rev. 83(6): 51 M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 2018 Pecteilis elliptica
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