Habenaria humilior

Habenaria humilior is a terrestrial orchid that grows annually from a tuberous rootstock to heights ranging from 15 cm to 70 cm. The tubers become 1 cm to 2 cm long, their shapes globose, ovoid or ellipsoid. The plant was previously known as H. rehmannii and by several other names in its history of botanical recording.

H. humilior has 4 to 13 lanceolate leaves that clasp the stem and taper gradually towards their tips. The lower two point outwards, curving down; those higher up are progressively smaller, lying vertically against the stem while grading into the floral bracts.

The species distribution is from Lesotho and the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg across the Mpumalanga Highveld to Limpopo and tropical Africa as far as Ethiopia; it also grows on Madagascar.

This orchid occurs widespread in clearings of damp woodland, as well as in grassland at elevations from 900 m to 2200 m. It has a stable population in habitat early in the twenty first century, not considered to be threatened (iSpot; www.apps.kew.org; www.africanorchids.dk; www.redlist.sanbi.org).