Habenaria rhopalostigma Kraenzl.

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Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Cultivated at Dabuyu Farms from tuber material sold in marketplaces of Zambia for the Chikanda trade

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Synonyms:	Habenaria nephrophylla Schltr.
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Description:	Plants up to 40 cm tall growing from ovoid to elliptic wooly tubers 1-2 cm long; stem erect with 1 basal leaf and 3-6 ±sheathing leaves; basal leaf appressed to ground, 3-4.5 x 3.5-5 cm, orbicular to kidney-shaped, somewhat fleshy; sheathing leaves 20-35 mm long; inflorescence short bearing 3-6 flowers; pedicel and ovary up to 80 mm long; bracts loose, c. 25 mm long; flowers green and white; dorsal sepal erect, 13-17 x 8-10 mm, ovate, convex; lateral sepals deflexed, 17-25 x 10 mm, obliquely oblanceolate, with a hooked lateral apiculus c. 3mm long; petals 2-lobed ± to base, upper lobe erect, attached to dorsal sepal, linear, 13-17 x 1 mm, lower lobe 5-9.5 cm x 1.5 mm, becoming filiform; lip 3-lobed with undivided base 4-6 mm long, all lobes pendent end filiform, mid-lobe 2-4 cm long, side lobes 5-10 cm long; spur 10-17 cm long, pendent, swollen towards the apex.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	rhopalostigma: referring to the club-shaped stigma
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Flowering time:	Nov - Jan
Worldwide distribution:	From Burundi and Tanzania south to DRC, Malawi and Zambia.
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Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1) Page 143. La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Page 96. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 121. Williamson, G. (1977). The Orchids of South Central Africa J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London. Pages 63 - 64. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Habenaria rhopalostigma:

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Flora of Malawi: Habenaria rhopalostigma
Flora of Zambia: Habenaria rhopalostigma

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Habenaria rhopalostigma
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Habenaria rhopalostigma
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Habenaria rhopalostigma
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Habenaria rhopalostigma
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iNaturalist: Habenaria rhopalostigma
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Habenaria rhopalostigma
JSTOR Plant Science: Habenaria rhopalostigma
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Habenaria rhopalostigma
Plants of the World Online: Habenaria rhopalostigma
Tropicos: Habenaria rhopalostigma
Wikipedia: Habenaria rhopalostigma