Habenaria rhodocheila Hance 1856 Photo courtesy of Joseph Dougherty

to LATE and

Common Name The Red-Lipped Habenaria

Flower Size 1 1/2" [3.75 cm]

This is a showy, medium sized, terrrestrial or lithophyte growing on mossy rocks with bulbous or fleshy roots and a stem with 1 to 2 below and 3 to 4 above, linear-lanceolate, attenuate into a petiole below, acuminate or mucronate at the apex leaves that blooms in the late summer and fall with about 10 flowers on a terminal, to about 2' [60 cm] long, erect, several [10] flowered raceme with long-lasting, color variable flowers and ovate bracts and is a cool to hot growing plant from South China and Vietnam in lowland evergreen forests along streams and rivers.

Synonyms Habenaria militaris Rchb.f 1186; Habenaria militaris var. philippinensis Ames 1908; Habenaria pusila Rchb.f 1878; Habenaria rhodocheila subsp. philippinensis (Ames) Christenson 1992; Habenaria rhodocheila var. philippinensis (Ames) Ames in ?.; Habenaria xanthocheila Ridley 1896; Smithanthe rhodochelia (Hance) Szlach. & Marg. 2004; Smithanthe rhodochelia subsp. philippinensis (Ames) Szlach. & Marg. 2004

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; as H rhodocheila var philippinense