ORCHIDACEAE 315 
8. HABENARIA Willd. 
Caulescent herbs, with cord-like or tuberous roots. Leaves alternate, sheathing at the 
base. Flowers in terminal spikes. Perianth of various colors, or white, often conspicuous. 
Sepals equal or nearly so, distinct or cohering at the base, the lateral 2 usually spreading. 
Lateral petals unequally 2-parted. Lip drooping or spreading, with a more or less con- 
spicuous spur at the base, mostly 3-parted. Column very short: anther 2-celled : sacs 
elevated, each with a slender appendage at the base. Pollen-masses coarsely granular 
with short tails. Stigma erect, with narrow appendages. Glands naked. Capsule more 
or less elongated, angled or ribbed. 
Spur about as long as the ovary. 
Bracts not surpassing the flowers: spikes few-flowered. 
Leaves basal or nearly so: spur club-shaped. 1. H. distans. 
Leaves scattered along the stem : spur filiform. 2. H. Nuttallii. 
Bracts surpassing the flowers : spikes many-flowered. 3. H. repens. 
Spur much mur than the ovary. 
Middle sepal less than 10 mm. long: spur less than 6 cm. long. 
Leaves largest at the base of the stem, those of the stem broadest near the 
base: middle sepal suborbicular. 4. H. Simpsonii. 
Leaves largest about the middle of the stem, those of the stem broadest at the 
middle: middle sepal ovate. 5. H. quinqueseta. 
Middle sepal over 10 mm. long: spur over 10 cm. long. 6. H. Habenaria. 
1. Habenaria dístans Griseb. Roots coarse or tuber-like: stems scape-like, 2-3 dm. 
tall, slender: leaves several at the base of the stem ; blades oblong or elliptic, or slightly 
broadest above the middle, 4-15 cm. long, acute or abruptly acuminate ; stem-leaves mostly 
reduced to partly sheathing scales: spike few-flowered, lax : bracts surpassing the ovaries : 
sepals oval or broadly ovate, 5-6 mm. long: lateral petals 2-parted, the upper segment nar- 
rowly oblong, the lower linear: lip 6-8 mm. long, 3-parted ; segments linear, spreading : 
spur club-shaped, about as long as the ovary. 
In low pine lands, Florida. 
2. Habenaria Nuttallfi Small. Roots cord-like, relatively slender: stem 2-4 dm. 
tall, leafy, rather slender: leaf-blades broadly linear to linear-lanceolate, 5-20 cm. long, 
or shorter above, acute or acuminate, erect or ascending, sheathing at the base: spike 
6—12 cm. long, rather few-flowered, narrow: bracts lanceolate, shorter than the flowers : 
middle sepal 4 mm. long, suborbicular, broader than long, notched at the apex ; lateral 
sepals 5 mm. long: lateral petals 4-5 mm. long, the narrower segment longer than the 
broader one : lip 3-parted ; middle segment 4 mm. long ; lateral segments 1-3 longer : spur 
filiform, about as long as the ovary: capsules oblong-prismatic, a little over 1 cm. long. 
In swamps, Florida to Louisiana. 
3. Habenariarépens Nutt. Roots fibrous: stems 3-6 dm. tall, usually stoutish : leaf- 
blades oblong-lanceolate, to linear-lanceolate, 5-30 cm. long, acute or acuminate, 3-nerved, 
sheathing at the base: spike 10-30 cm. long, closely many-flowered : bracts lanceolate or 
linear-lanceolate, surpassing the flowers : perianth greenish : sepals various, the middle one 
ovate-orbicular, 5 mm. long, the lateral Arras slightly curved, 6 mm. long: lateral petals 
with the broader segments, 5 mm. long, slender segment } longer: lip 3-parted ; middle 
segment 5 mm. long; lateral 3 longer and more slender than the middle one : spur fili- 
form, about as long as the ovary. 
In swamps or low grounds, Florida to Louisiana. 
4. Habenaria Simpsónti Small. Roots cord-like, sometimes accompanied by tubers : 
stems 2-4 dm. tall, conspicuously leafy to the middle: leaves mainly on the lower half of 
the stem, and there sheathing it; blades ovate or sometimes oval-oblong, 3-10 cm. long, 
acute or acutish, spreading, clasping, those above the middle of the stem much smaller 
than the rest and more remote : ped ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate : middle sepal 
suborbicular, 7 mm. long ; lateral sepals 9 mm. long: lateral petals with the larger seg- 
ments oblong, 6 mm. long, curved, the other segment filiform, spreading, fully twice as 
long : lip 5-parted ; middle segment linear, 10 mm. long ; lateral segments about j longer : 
spur about twice as long as the ovary. 
In dry hammocks, near Manatee, Florida. 
5. Habenaria quinqueséta (Michx.) C. Mohr. Roots fibrous: stems 2-5 dm. tall, 
leafy to the inflorescence : leaves largest about the middle of the stem ; blades oblong to 
oblong-lanceolate, 4-10 cm. long, or shorter above, broadest about the middle: spike 
8-15 em. long, rather few-flowered : perianth white : sepals various ; the middle one ovate : 
8-9 mm. long, obtuse: lateral petals with the broader segment 9-10 mm. long, the nar- 
rower one nearly twice as long: lip 3-parted ; middle segment linear, 12-13 mm. long: 
lateral segments filiform, about 4 longer: spur about twice as long as the ovary. [Habe- 
naria. Michauzii Nutt. ] 
In sandy or gravelly soil, South Carolina to Florida and Louisiana. 
