HABENARIA and ALLIED GENERA 
A large genus of terrestrial orchids of extremely wide distribution, species being 
found in America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Very few of them are 
grown in orchid collections although, as a family, they are interesting and often 
showy. They grow from tuberous roots, the plants dying down with the coming 
of Winter. There are five or six species native to North Queensland, but they are 
of botanical interest only, the individual flowers being very small. 
The local species are: — 
HABENARIA ELONGATA. Rockhampton. 
The best local species, with stems about a foot high and oblong leaves up to about 
4 inches in length. Flowers are produced densely on a terminal spike, the indi- 
vidual blooms being about half an inch across. The middle lobe of the labellum 
is half-an-inch long with a spur an inch or more in length. 
HABENARIA GRAMINEA. Rockingham Bay. 
Slender stems up to a foot high with a few linear, sharply pointed leaves at the 
base. Terminal spike slender with a number of small greenish yellow flowers. 
HABENARIA XANTHANTHA. Rockingham Bay. 
Similar in form to graminea. Flowers in a dense spike, slightly smaller than gram- 
inea, and yellowish in colour. 
The best of the exotic species are:— 
HABENARIA CARNEA. Native of Penang. 
A handsome species with small, dark green leaves much spotted with white. Flowers 
3 to § on stem, upper portion pink, balance white. Spur 14 inches long. 
HABENARIA CRINIFERA. Native of Ceylon and Southern India. 
Small flowers, pale yellow in colour. Stem about a foot high. Leaves ovate. 
This plant grows in the lower levels in the open fields. It has a short stem up to, 
but rarely exceeding, three inches in height, clothed with a whorl of bright green, 
oblong, rather lanceolate leaves four inches by about an inch or more in width. 
It flowers in Spring or Autumn, the scape rising from the centre of the plant and 
bearing a cluster of white flowers. The sepals and petals are about half an inch 
long, and the long narrow lip is three times that length. The whole appearance 
of the flower has given it the colloquial name of ‘Dancing Lady.” 
HABENARIA PUSILLA. Native of Cochin China. 
The finest species, with an erect stem up to 2 feet in height, furnished with six 
bluish-green, lanceolate leaves. The dorsal sepal and petals form a sort of helmet, 
the lateral sepals being reflexed and twisted. Sepals and petals are deep green in 
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