Habenaria lelyi Summerh. 1932 SECTION Diphyllae

TYPE Drawing by © Lely and The Kew Royal Botanic Garden WebSite

partial sun Cool Summer

Common Name Lely's Habenaria [Original Collector of Species current]

Flower Size

Found in Guinea, Nigeria and the Central African Republic at elevations around 1300 to 1400 meters as a medium sized, cool growing terrestrial with a single, radical, sub-orbicular, sub-fleshy, adpressed to the ground leaf that blooms in the summer on an erect, terminal, to 14.4" [to 36 cm] long, to 9 flowered inflorescence with a 4" [10 cm] rachis and lanceolate, acuminate floral bracts.

H lelyi is fairly unique in having free petals and it differs from all other species in having the middle lobe of the lip wider than the lateral lobes.

Synonyms Habenaria lelyi var. macroceras Summerh. 1938

References W3 Tropicos,Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1932: 188 Summerhayes 1932

Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1938: 148 Summerhayes 1938 as Habenaria lelyi var. macroceras

Flora of Western Tropical Africa Hutchinson 1968;

Orchids of the Central African Republic A Provisional Checklist Cribb & Fay 1986;

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