Habenaria, commonly called bog orchids, are a far ranging genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of orchid

Orchidaceae

The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...

, one of approximately 800 described Orchidaceae genera within that large and diverse family. There are species in both tropical

Tropics

The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately  N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at  S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...

 and temperate

Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...

 zones.

Description

Habenaria species have small to large underground root

Root

In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...

 tuber

Tuber

Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction...

s and erect stems 20 to 80 cm (7.9 to 31.5 in) in length. Leaves are lanceolate or ovate

Leaf shape

In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...

, and are borne either along the stem (cauline) or only at the base (basal). When basal, leaves lie flat on the ground. Flowers are mostly green, white, yellow and green, or white and green, but a few exceptions have brilliant red flowers. The column is frequently complicated, with long organs sticking out of it (stigma processes, lateral rostellum arms, anther canals). The plant is a perennial deciduous

Deciduous

Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...

, with the entire above-ground part of the plant dying back each year.

Cultivation

Habenaria are rarely found in collections of living plants.

Plants are best grown in deep pots (e.g. 20 cm depth, place tubers at 10 cm depth) in a well drained medium consisting of 50% river sand, 40% leaf mulch and 10% vermiculite

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a natural mineral that expands with the application of heat. The expansion process is called exfoliation and it is routinely accomplished in purpose-designed commercial furnaces. Vermiculite is formed by weathering or hydrothermal alteration of biotite or phlogopite...

. Plants are best grown in a temperate environment with 50-70% shading and excellent ventilation.

Regular watering should be given during the growth season, from spring to autumn. As soon as autumn cooling sets in reduce watering to once every two weeks. During cold winter months do not water. It is, however, vital to watch that the medium does not dehydrate completely. To prevent this drench the pot occasionally and allow to dry. Do not keep the medium damp. Only after new shoots emerge at the end of winter commence with watering once every two weeks for the spring season and once or twice a week as required for the summer season.

A slow release fertilizer

Fertilizer

Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...

 can be applied during spring. Aphid

Aphid

Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...

s can be a problem and should be watched for and eliminated.

Selected species

Habenaria alata Hook. William Jackson Hooker Sir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,... – Winged Bog Orchid Habenaria amalfitana Lehmann & Kränzlin – Guadeloupe Bog Orchid Habenaria arenaria – Dune Orchid Habenaria clavata Habenaria dentata Habenaria dentata Habenaria dentata is a species of orchid native to the Himalaya, China, India, Indochina, Thailand and Myanmar.-Synonyms:Orchis dentata Sw. is the basionym. Other synonyms include:*Habenaria dentata f. ecalcarata Tuyama... (Sw. Olof Swartz Olof Peter Swartz was a Swedish botanist and taxonomist. He is best known for his taxonomic work and studies into pteridophytes... ) Schltr. Habenaria digitata Habenaria distans Griseb. August Grisebach August Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach was a German botanist and phytogeographer. Born in Hannover on April 17, 1814, he died at Göttingen on May 9, 1879.- Biography :... – Hammock Bog Orchid Habenaria dives Habenaria dregeana Habenaria epipactidea Habenaria eustachya Rchb.f Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century... – Woodland Bog Orchid Habenaria falcicornis Habenaria floribunda Lindl. John Lindley John Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden... Habenaria laevigata

Habenaria lithophila Habenaria malacophylla Habenaria marginata – Rein Orchid Habenaria medusa Habenaria medusa Habenaria medusa is a species of orchid endemic to Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Borneo.-External links:*... Kraenzl. Habenaria monorrhiza (Sw.) Rchb.f – Tropical Bog Orchid Habenaria mossii Habenaria mossii Habenaria mossii is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is endemic to South Africa. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Pfab, M.F. & Victor, J. 2003. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007.... (G.Will.) J.C.Manning Habenaria odontopetala Rchb.f – Toothpetal Bog Orchid Habenaria quinqueseta (Michx.) Eat. – Longhorn Bog Orchid Habenaria radiata Habenaria radiata Pecteilis radiata is a species of orchid endemic to China, Japan, Korea and Russia. It is commonly known as the White Egret Flower, Fringed Orchid or Sagiso. It should not be confused with the white fringed orchid Platanthera praeclara, which is a North American species. The Sagiso is the official... (Thunb.) Spreng. Habenaria repens Nutt. Thomas Nuttall Thomas Nuttall was an English botanist and zoologist, who lived and worked in America from 1808 until 1841.... – Waterspider Bog Orchid Habenaria rhodocheila Habenaria rhodocheila Habenaria rhodocheila is a species of orchid that occurs from South China to peninsular Malaysia and the Philippines.-References:... Hance Henry Fletcher Hance Henry Fletcher Hance was a British diplomat who devoted his spare time to the study of Chinese plants. Born in London, his first appointment was to Hong Kong in 1844; he later became vice-consul to Whampoa, consul to Canton, and finally consul to Xiamen, where he died in 1886. In 1873, Hance... Habenaria schimperiana Habenaria strictissima Rchb.f

Formerly placed here

Dactylorhiza viridis (L.) R.M.Bateman et al. (as H. viridis (L.) R.Br. Robert Brown (botanist) Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope... ) Platanthera ciliaris Platanthera ciliaris Platanthera ciliaris, commonly known as the Yellow Fringed Orchid Yellow-fringed Orchis, or Orange-fringed Orchid, is a species of orchid.-External links:*... (L.) Lindl. (as H. ciliaris (L.) R.Br.) Platanthera dilatata (Pursh Frederick Traugott Pursh Frederick Traugott Pursh was a German-American botanist.Born in Grossenhain, Saxony, to the name Friedrich Traugott Pursh, he was educated at Dresden Botanical Gardens, and emigrated to the United States in 1799... ) Lindl. ex L.C.Beck (as H. dilatata (Pursh) Hook.)

Platanthera hyperborea Platanthera hyperborea Description: Platanthera hyperborea is a green to yellowish-green perennial, monocot herb growing 10–90 cm.Similar species: Platanthera hyperborea is similar to Platanthera dilatata, the two hybridize freely, and produce intermediate offspring, the labellum, is strongly dilated at the base in... (L.) Lindl. (as H. hyperborea (L.) R.Br.) Platanthera psycodes Platanthera psycodes Platanthera psycodes, commonly called Small Purple Fringed-orchid, is a species of orchid occurring from eastern Canada to the east-central and northeastern United States.... (L.) Lindl. (as H. psycodes (L.) Spreng.) Platanthera stricta Platanthera stricta Platanthera stricta is a species of orchid known by the common name slender bog orchid. It is native to western North America from Alaska to the southwestern United States, where it grows in wet areas, such as shady forest meadows. It produces a slender, erect flowering stem up to about 80... Lindl. (as H. saccata Greene)

External links

• Article on Habenaria at South Africa National Biodiversity Institute