Habenaria paradiseoides J.J.Sm. 1932

Photo by © Ong Poh Teck and the Biological Diversity Clearinghouse Mechanism Website

Plant and Flowers

Photo by © Peter O'Byrne and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Part Shade Hot Spring

Common Name The Paradise-like Habenaria

Flower Size 3/4" [1.85 cm]

Found in penninsular Malaysia and Sumatra in lowland rivers in narrrow gaps between rocks lining the banks of large rivers at elevations around 140 meters as a small sized, hot growing terrestrial with closely spaced, very short stems carrying 6 to 10, basal, linear, gradually narrowing towards the apex, acute leaves that blooms in the spring on an erect, provided with 7 to 10, decreasing in size from the base bracts. 6.2 to 9" [15.5 to 22.5 cm] long, laxly to 20 flowered inflorescence with persistent, triangular, acuminate floral bracts.

Although H paradiseoides has no near allies in the genus, it approaches H reflexa and H kingii in simlar habit but differs in its occuring on granite instead of limestone and the flowers are very different in the structure of the labellum and spur and in the case of H kingii the anther canals.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001; Gard. Bull. Singapore 57: 263 - 267 Jutta & Faridah 2005 ; Wild Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia Ong, O'Byrne, Yong & Saw 2011 photo fide; Checklist of Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia Ong, O'Byrne, Saw and Chung 2017;

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