Habenaria (rein orchids or bog orchids) is a large and widely distributed genus of terrestrial orchids in the family Orchidaceae, order Asparagales, placed within the tribe Orchideae. With approximately 880 formally described species, it is one of the most species-rich orchid genera in the world, ranging across every continent except Antarctica and found in both tropical and subtropical zones. Centres of diversity occur in Africa and Brazil, and seventeen species are native to Australia.
Plants in the genus are mainly terrestrial, growing from fleshy underground tubers. The stems are upright, tall, and either thin or fleshy. Leaves may be arranged in a basal rosette or scattered along the stem. The flowers are resupinate and typically small, appearing in white, green, or yellowish tones and arranged along a tall flowering spike. The dorsal sepal and petals overlap to form a hood over the column, and the labellum bears a spur and usually three lobes that can be short or elongated and threadlike. The most distinctive anatomical feature of Habenaria is the presence of two club-shaped projections on the stigma, which separates it from related orchid genera.
The genus was first formally described in 1805 by the German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow, with the description published in Species Plantarum. The name Habenaria is derived from the Latin habena, meaning "thong", "strap", or "rein" — a reference to the strap-like lobes of the labellum characteristic of many species.
Etymology
The genus name Habenaria is derived from the Latin word habena, meaning "thong", "strap", or "rein", an allusion to the strap-like or threadlike lobes of the lip (labellum) that characterise many species in the group. The genus was formally established by Carl Ludwig Willdenow in 1805 in Species Plantarum.
Distribution
Habenaria is native to every continent except Antarctica, with its centre of diversity in tropical and subtropical Africa and Brazil. Seventeen species are recorded in Australia. The genus grows in a broad range of habitats across tropical and subtropical zones worldwide.
Taxonomy Notes
Habenaria is placed in the tribe Orchideae within the family Orchidaceae (order Asparagales). It was first formally described by Carl Ludwig Willdenow in 1805. The two club-shaped stigma projections are the key morphological character that defines the genus. GBIF recognises 35 accepted taxa under the genus in its backbone taxonomy.
