Habenaria humilior flower

The pedicel and ovary of the Habenaria humilior flower may grow longer than 2 cm. The dorsal sepal is elliptic, reflexed or pointing backwards, here appearing pale, almost white in colour in its lower half, grey-brown with a dark green line towards its tip. The lateral sepals are pale green, longer than the dorsal and spreading to the sides or slightly forward. They have curious, erectly pointed green growths, apicula, positioned like brackets around the dorsal sepal in picture.

The petals are two-lobed almost to the base and narrow. The lip has three linear lobes. The spur becomes more than 2 cm long, sometimes swollen at its tip. The anther, stigmatic arms (from 3 mm to 6 mm long, extended forward with truncated tips) and rostellum (with triangular mid-lobe) are prominent in the centre of the flower in picture.

This plant was photographed north of Belfast in February (iSpot; www.apps.kew.org).