Home | > | List of families | > | Orchidaceae | > | Habenaria | > | verdickii |
Synonyms: |
Bonatea verdickii De Wild. Habenaria cordifolia Summerh. Habenaria monophylla Schltr. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Occasional |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Terrestrial herb 20-30 cm tall growing from ellipsoid tomentose tubers c. 2.5 cm long; basal leaf 1, appressed to ground, c. 4.5-5 x 4-7.5 cm, orbicular to kidney-shaped, cordate at base, glabrous; flowering stem with 3-5 bract-like sheathing leaves c. 3 cm long; inflorescence laxly 2-11-flowered; flowers white or yellow green; ovary and pedicel 15-20 mm long, slightly arched; dorsal sepal erect, 9-16 x 4.5-7 mm, ovate, convex; lateral sepals deflexed, 11-16.5 x 3.5-5 mm, obliquely lanceolate; all sepals with 3 toothed keels on outside; petals 2-lobed to base, upper lobe erect, 7.5-18 x 0.5-1 mm, linear, lower lobe 12-28 x c. 1 mm, curving up; lip porrect, 3-lobed almost to base, mid-lobe 8-17.5 x 0.5-1.5 mm, linear, side lobes 8-16.5 x c. 1 mm; spur 10-18 mm long, inflated at apex, parallel to ovary. |
Type location: |
DRC |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | verdickii: named after Edgard Antoine Auguste Verdick, Belgian-born plant collector in Katanga. |
Habitat: | In grassland, dry dambo edges and woodland, sometimes on rocky outcrops. |
Altitude range: | 1100 - 2200 m |
Flowering time: | Jan - Mar |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola east through DRC, Zambia and Malawi south to Zimbabwe |
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): | N,W |
Zambian distribution (Provinces): | Nw,N |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Thursday 2 March 2023 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 328. La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1) Pages 145 - 147. (Includes a picture). La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Page 99. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 96. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 122. Summerhayes, V.S. (1964). African orchids XXIX Kew Bulletin 17(3) Page 529. Williamson, G. (1977). The Orchids of South Central Africa J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London. Pages 63 - 65. (Includes a picture). |
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