Habenaria kraenzliniana buds and flowers

Seeing buds and flowers of Habenaria kraenzliniana together in their crowded inflorescence emphasises the release of the long, thin lip lobes and lateral petals from the compact buds where they started off, densely curled up.

In this jumble of flower tubes and threads there are also leaf-like bracts, each folding closely around the base of the ovary of a flower (Pooley, 1998; www.orchidspecies.com).