~Habenaria fastor Lindl. ex Warm.1884 - See Habenaria melvillei Ridl. 1885 Photo by © Dalton Holland Baptista and © Orchidstudium

Side View of Flower Photo by © Mario Peixoto

EARLY

Common Name The ? Habenaria

Flower Size 1.4" [3.5 cm]

Found in west central & southeastern Brazil on roadsides and in swamps always with a wet base at elevations of 1000 to 1200 meters as a large to giant sized, cool growing terrestrial with a white tuber giving rise to an erect, stout stem with 4 to 7, light green, deeply keeled, lanceolate leaves enveloping the stem that blooms in the early summer on a 8 to 10" [20 to 25 cm] long, to 15 flowered inflorecence

This is the largest plant and flower of the Habenaria in the Rio de Janiero region.

CAUTION This group, H fastor, H nabucoi, H gourlieana and H macronectar are all fairly similar. I hope I have them separate in a correct fashion. H nabucoi is considered by Kew to be synomonous with H melvillei but I have left them separate for now. H fastor is also considered by Kew to be synomonous with H melvillei and so the photo for Habenaria melvillei Ridl. 1885 is what was considered to be H fastor, see above. I have to date not seen a plant labeled H melvillei so please use all of these species with caution!

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of the High Mountain Atlantic Rainforest in SE Brazil Warren & Miller 1994 drawing/photo fide; The Organ Mountain Range, its History and its Orchids Miller, Warren, Miller & Seehawer 2008 drawing hmm/photo

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