Habenaria minima R.González & Cuev.-Fig. 2010

TYPE Drawing by Jorge Roberto González Tamayo and Las Orquideas del Occidente de Mexico Vol 1 Jorge Roberto González Tamayo y Lizbeth Hernández Hernández 2010

partial shade Cool LATER Summer EARLIERFall

Common Name The Least Habenaria [The epithet alludes to the short stature of some specimens, no other species is known to be smaller]

Flower Size

Found in Jalisco state of Mexico in coarse sandy soils or on ochre-coloured clay, sometimes humiferous, acidic, in the strips along sidewalks, in open pine and oak forest at elevations around 1,400 to 1,750 meters as an inconspicuous, mini-miniature to miniature sized, cool growing terrestrial with an ellipsoid to ovoid, the basally pubescent tubers giving rise to an erect, thin, leafy throughout stem carrying 3 to 10, the first 1 to 2 reduced to sheaths with the apex decurved, then the next two to three are extended, somewhat convex, suborbicular to ovate, .24 to .76" [6 to 19 mm] long, .02 to .52" [5 to 13 mm] wide, erect at the top, then adpressed, imbricate, somewhat conduplicat, the margins recurved or extended, as they ascend each time resembling more to the floral bracts, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, subobtuse, apiculate, .68 to ,76" [17 to 19 mm] long, .24 to .28" [6 to 7 mm] wide, dark ashen green, tri-nerved with an additional nerve to each side towards the edge, furrowed, carinated along the main nerves, the conspicuous, decurrent carinas, the denticulate, hyaline carinas and margined leaves, the infundibuliform sheath is short that blooms in the later summer and early fall on an erect, terminal, rachis angular, .52 to 2.6" [1.3 to 6.5 cm] long, .072 to .088" [18 to 22 mm] in diameter, somewhat lax or dense sub- or semi-cylindrical clusters, 3 to 21 flowered inflorescence with short, ascending, conduplicate, the arched apically, with recurved margins, lanceolate, acuminate, with three main ribs and two others on each side, the reticulum lax, carnada, keel hyaline, the basal flowers have floral bracts that are notvery prominent and exceeds the ovary, in the upper ones it equals it or sometimes a bit longer floral bracts.

"Habenaria minima differs from H. filifera by the leaves spread below, then erect, the last adpressed; patent flowers with ovaries extended above; somewhat lax, sub or semi-cylindrical; floral bract in the basal flowers exceeds the ovary, in the upper ones it equals or sometimes equals it it is a little shorter; the osterior petal segment is triangular, acuminate, anterior segment longer than the posterior lobe; labellum with obtrapeziform blade, very short; central lobe linear-triangular; the canals of the anther are barely incurved. In Habenaria filifera the leaves are erect from the top down; the flowers are situated on ovaries almost adhered to the rachis so the cluster is dense and narrow; the floral bracts below equal the ovary; The segment posterior of the petals is oblong, sharply rounded, .24" [6 mm] long and the anterior segment equilongate; subsessile labellum; median lobe; very short descending anther channels. Habenaria minima and H. cualensis are the same plant size; with green flowers; the shape and ribs of the three sepals; Longer anterior petal segment than the posterior lobe; lateral lobes of the labellum larger than the central lobe, although in the latter the nectary it is as long as the ovary; the posterior lobe of the petals contract suddenly at the apex, without attenuating from the base, the apex of the lateral sepals is crenulate, the stigmatic processes are rectangular, not subsquare, the column is more slender and the incurved anther channels, in conjunction with the respective locule forms a curve similar to the letter U and the unciform cauticles, measure 2.5 times the size of the pollinia ." Jorge Roberto González Tamayo y Lizbeth Hernández 2010

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Las Orquideas del Occidente de Mexico Vol 1: 122 Jorge Roberto González Tamayo y Lizbeth Hernández Hernández 2010 drawing fide;

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