Habenaria marginata Colebr.

Plants 10-25 cm tall with turnip-shaped tuberoids. Stem with 3-5 closely crowded sub-basal leaves, above with 2-4 small leaf-like sheaths. Leaves sessile, spreading, ovate to oblong, acute, with pale yellow margins. Inflorescence broadly cylindrical, up to 10(-15) x 5 cm. Bracts lanceolate, ± equalling in length the ovary. Flowers green and yellow. Sepals green; dorsal broadly ovate 7-8 x 7 mm, forming a hood with the petals; lateral sepals narrower, oblong-lanceolate, 7 x 3.5 mm. Petals greenish, outer half yellow, triangular-ovate, slightly falcate, 9 mm long, 5 mm broad at base. Labellum bright yellow, 3-lobed from a 2-3 mm long undivided basal part; mid-lobe linear, margins reflexed, obtuse 7-8 x 1.5-2 mm, side lobes longer, narrower, 9 mm long, usually terminating in an ± involute filiform apex. Spur equalling ovary in length, about 12 mm long, widened at base, with slightly inflated and laterally compressed apex. Anther canals c.l mm, stigmatic processes c. 1.5 mm long.

Himalaya (Kashmir to Bhutan), India, Burma.

Distribution: Northwestern Himalaya, eastwards to Bhutan and Burma, up to 3000 m.

500-900 m

Fl. Per.: August-September.