Habenaria quadrata Lindl. 1835 SECTION Seticauda
Photos by © Alexander Hirtz
Drawing by © Joćo A. N. Batista; Joćo Batista F. da Silva; Luciano de Bem Bianchetti and the The genus Habenaria (Orchidaceae) in the Brazilian Amazon
Common Name The Square Habenaria
Flower Size .8" [2 cm]
Found in Boyaca and Magdalena departments of Colombia, Venezuela? and northern Brazil in forests and savannahs at elevations around 100 to 1900 meters as a medium to large sized, hot to cool growing terrestrial with a slender, erect, stem carrying 5 to 12, grading larger above, distichous, oblong-lanceolate, acute leaves that blooms in the summer on and erect, terminal, racemose, winged, 4 to 12" [10 to 25 cm] long, laxly many flowered inflorescence with erect to patent, three nerved, oblong-lanceolate, shorter to longer than the ovary floral bracts.
+"The exact identity of H. quadrata has been controversial and Cogniaux (1893) included H curvilabra as a synonym. The specimens in the two collections above are distinct from the typical H. curvilabria of central and southeastern Brazil by the size of the petals (.24 x .06" [6 x 1.5 mm] vs. .1 to .14" x .06 to .096" [2.5 to 3.5 x 1.5 to 2.3 mm] in H. curvilabria). They are similar to H petalodes , but have smaller flowers, dorsal sepal .2 to .24" x .16 to .18" [5 to 6 x 4 to 4.5 mm] vs. ca. .32 x .24" [8 x 6 mm] in H. petalodes), a shorter spur (15-17 mm long vs. ca. 25 mm long in H. petalodes) and petals that are not broad at the apex (vs. the spatulate petals of H. petalodes). Habenaria quadrata is similar to the Brazilian species H floribunda and further studies are necessary to determine the exact relation between these species. Flowers are recorded as light green, and the species occurs in " varzea" forests and " terra firme capoeiras" . Habenaria quadrata was recorded for Venezuela (Foldats 1969), but the report needs confirmation."
Synonyms Habenella quadrata (Lindl.) Szlach. 2006; Platantheroides quadrata (Lindl.) Szlach.2004;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 316 Lindley 1835
Flora Brasilica Vol XII I Hoehne 1940 drawing ok; Flora de Venezuela Volumne XV Parte 1 Foldats 1969;
Orchidaceae Brasilenses Band 1 Pabst and Dungs 1975 drawing;
Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003;
Richardiana 4: 108 Szlach 2004 as Platantheroides quadrata;
Richardiana 6: 38 Szlach 2006 as Habenella quadrata;
Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1:90 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 as Habenella quadrata drawing/photo fide
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