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Habenaria diphylla (Nimmo) Dalzell.

In Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 2: 262 (1850)

  • Liparis diphyllos Nimmo in J.Graham, Cat. Pl. Bombay: 252 (1839)

  • Habenaria ahernii Schltr. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 502 (1915)

  • Habenaria aitchisonii var. josephi (Rchb.f.) Hook.f. in Fl. Brit. India 6: 152 (1890)

  • Habenaria clarkei Kraenzl. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 148 (1892)

  • Habenaria cordata Náves in F.M.Blanco, Fl. Filip., ed. 3. 4(13A): 250 (1880), nom. illeg.

  • Habenaria diphylla var. josephi (Rchb.f.) N.Pearce & P.J.Cribb in Edinburgh J. Bot. 58: 114 (2001)

  • Habenaria humistrata Rolfe ex Downie in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1925: 419 (1925)

  • Habenaria jardoniana Wight in Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 5: t. 1715 (1851)

  • Habenaria josephi Rchb.f. in Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 3: 114 (1888)

  • Habenaria sutteri Rchb.f. in Linnaea 25: 229 (1852)

Ecology: Terrestrial herb , growing in open grassland on humus rich as well as laterite soil in semi evergreen forest 

Tuber 1 ellipsoidal

Leaves: 1-2 with or without small leafy bract above, very coriaceous, lying flat on ground,4x2cm ovate -oblong or suborbicular, obtuse or acute, margins pale coloured
Leaf like bract 2x0.5cm lanceolate sheathing acute semi amplexicaul


Scape: 10-15cm terete, with few oblong oblanceolate acute bracts 

Inflorescence Raceme 4 to 8 flowered lax upto 12cm tall

Flowers: shortly pedicellate, bracteate greenish white

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Bracts: 1x0.5cm, ovate-lanceolate, sub acuminate, shorter than ovary 

Sepals: subequal acute often mucronulate, entire, 3 nerved  
Dorsal sepal 6-7x5mm pale green broadly ovate
Lateral sepals 8-9x4mm white spreading with deflexed apex, obliquely ovate, or ovate lanceolate 

Petals: 6-7x2mm, greenish white sub falcate, linear-oblong, entire, acute mid nerve prominent other nerves lighter

Labellum: 3 lobed filiform, white, pale green at the apex, 
Lateral lobes 10-14mm spreading across the flower right angles to mid lobe
Mid lobe 6-8mm, acute, straight slightly incurved 

Spur: 18-20mm, long curved white, tinged with green towards obtuse or clavate apex slightly broader at mouth

Capsule:18-20x0.3mm shortly stalked, fusiform beak 2-3mm 


Flowering: August - September

Fruiting: October

Column: 5x4mm, stout, broadly oblong, pale green
Anther cell short Pollinia 2x1mm suborbicular bipartite caudile slender 2.5mm. Viscidium small orbicular


Stigmatic surfaces 2mm, deep green, clavate, stout, parallel, 
Rostellum white band shaped Ovary: 15-20mm shortly stalked, strongly ribbed

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