Habenaria alterosula Snuv. & Westra 1981 SECTION Leptoceras

Photo by © Marga Werkhoven

Drawing

Original Drawing by © Joćo A. N. Batista; Joćo Batista F. da Silva; Luciano de Bem Bianchetti and Redrawn by A Krol[2017] and the The genus Habenaria (Orchidaceae) in the Brazilian Amazon

Common Name The

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Fr Guiana, Surinam and Brazil in forests at elevations of 800 to 900 meters sometimes as a lithophyte on granite rocks or as a large sized, warm growing terrestrial with an erect stem carrying towards the apex in a rosette of 9 to 12, grey-green, oblong-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, acute leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, racemose, erect, 8" [20 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence carrying yellow green flowers with cream colored petals.

Similar to Habenaria avicula Schltr. 1921 . +"The main difference is in the length of the lateral segments of the lip (about .2" [5 mm] in H. alterosula vs. .04 to .08" [1 to 2 mm] in H. avicula). Also according to Szatzchetko they differ in the lobation of the petals which are prominently bilobed in H aleterosula and very obscurely bilobed in H avicula.

Renz states that H alterosula is unique in the genus in having a rosette of leaves towards the apex of the stem. The similar H avicula has its leaves concentrated towasrds the center of the stem.

The flower depicted in Lindley's original drawings of H abortiens , a poorly know species described previously from Peru, is remarkably similar to H. alterosula and it is possible that the two species may be conspecific." If so then H abortiens takes precedence.

Synonyms Habenaria alterosula subsp. ecalcarata Snuv. & Westra 1981

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Acta Bot. Neerl. 30: 235 Snuv. & Westra 1981;

Acta Bot. Neerl. 30: 237 Snuv. & Westra 1981 as Habenaria alterosula subsp. ecalcarata

The Orchids of Surinam Werkhoven 1986 photo fide;

Inventaire Taxonomique des Plantas de la Guyane Francaise II Les Orquidacees Cremers & Hoff 1992;

The genus Habenaria (Orchidaceae) in the Brazilian Amazon Joćo A. N. Batista; Joćo Batista F. da Silva; Luciano de Bem Bianchetti;

Rev. bras. Bot. vol.31 no.1 Sćo Paulo Jan./Mar. 2008;

Orchids of French Guiana Szlachetko, Veyret, Mytnik-ejsmont, Sawicka, Rutkowski and Baranov 2012 drawing fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 114 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 drawing fide

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