Habenaria simplex Kraenzl.1882 SECTION Chlorinae Kraenzl. 1892
Photo by © P J Cribb and Arkive Website
Drawing by © Perrier
EARLY
Common Name The Modest Habenaria
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in central & south central Madagascar in grass amongst rocks at elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters as a small to just medium sized, cool growing terrestrial with an erect stem carrying narrowly lanceolate, acute leaves with sparse, cauline sheaths and blooms in the spring and early summer on an erect, many flowered inflorescence.
"The species is distinguished from H hilsenbergii by the nummerous, strict, narrow leaves and the many flowered raceme. The stem is about 12" [30 cm] in height and is covered with adpressed leaves of which the longest is 2.5" [5.125 cm] in length. The flowers are about the size of H arachnoides and are closely adpressed to the stem. The dorsal sepal is narrow, excavate, acute amnd the laterals are deflexed. The column has 2 small, lateral, obtuse lobes flanking the entrance to the spur." Ridley 1885
Synonyms Habenaria deanscowaniana Hermans 2007; Habenaria ichneumoniformis Ridl. 1886; Habenaria stricta Ridl. 1885
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 7: 260 Kraenzlin 1882;
J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 21: 510 Ridley 1885 as H stricta nom. illeg.;
J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 22: 125 Ridley 1886 as H ichneumoniformis
Repert. Specierum Nova. Regni Vegetabilis Band 33: 96 Schlechter 1925;
Flora of Madagascar: 49 Perrier 1939/81 as H stricta;
Flora of Madagascar: 50 Perrier 1939/81
Flora of Madagascar: 51 fig 4 # 7 Perrier 1939/81 drawing good;
Orchids of Madagascar Hermans, Du Puy, Cribb and Bosser 2007;
Orchids of Madagascar ed 2: 196 Hermans, Du Puy, Cribb and Bosser 2007 as H deanscowaniana
Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009 photo fide;
A la Recherche des Orchidees de Madagascar Hervouet 2018 photo fide;
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------