Habenaria mechowii Rchb.f. 1882 SECTION Diphyllae Kraenzl.
Photo courtesy of © Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz
Drawing by © Graham Williamson
Common Name Mechow's Habenaria {Prussian explorer of Africa, and a naturalist Collector of the TYPE 1831 - 1904]
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found in Zaire, Tanzania, Angola, Malawi and Zambia in wet grasslands and dambo margins at elevations of 750 to 1650 meters as a medium sized, warm to cool growing, robust terrestrial with ovoid to ellipsoid tubers giving rise to an erect stem carrying 2 basal, adpressed to the ground, reniform to ovate, cordate basally, apiculate to rounded apically, rather fleshy leaves and 5 to 13 bract-like leaves above that blooms in the summer on an erect, 4 to 8" [10 to 20 cm] long, loosely to fairly densely 2 to 9 flowered inflorescence wityh toothed wings outside, shorter than the ovary floral bracts.
Synonyms Arachnaria mechowii (Rchb.f.) Szlach.2003
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Flora of Tropical East Africa Part 1 Summerhayes 1968;
The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing fide;
Flore D'Afrique Centrale [Zaire- Rwands - Burundi] Orhidaceae Premeir parte Geerink 1984;
Flora Zambesiaca Volume 11 Part one Pope 1998;
Richardiana 3: 157 Szlach 2003 as Arachnaria mechowii
Orchidaceae of West Central Africa Vol 1: 257 Szlatchecko etal 2010 as Arachnaria mechowii drawing fide
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