Habenaria rumphii (Brongn.) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1835) 320
Basionym: Platanthera rumphii
Tuber oblongoid. Stem erect, 10-25 cm long, 3-4-leaved, at the base with 2-3 tubular sheaths. Leaf sheaths 2-6 cm long, tubular. Leaves erect-patent, lanceolate-linear, narrowed to the base, 9-17 by 0.9-1.1 cm, apex gradually acuminate, tip acute. Inflorescence racemose, erect; peduncle 24-32 cm long, peduncle-scales 3-6, lanceolate-linear to subulate, setaceous-acuminate, to 5.5 cm long, the lower ones sheathing, the upper ones becoming smaller; rachis 5-8 cm long, densely many-flowered. Floral bracts erect, subulate, 2 by 0.23 cm, apex long setaceous-acuminate, concave, keeled, 1-nerved. Ovary 1.35 cm long, beaked, the beak 0.3 cm long. Flowers 1.7 cm long. Median sepal erect, ovate, 0.45 by 0.23 cm, concave, 3-nerved, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals reflexed, falcate-ovate, 0.55 by 0.24 cm, 3-nerved, apex obtuse. Petals erect, falcate-oblong, narrowed to the apex, 0.45 by 0.15 cm, 2-nerved, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed, spurred, concave at the base; lateral lobes patent, subulate, 0.18 cm long, much narrower than the mid-lobe, rather obtuse; mid-lobe sublinear, narrowed to the apex, 0.53 cm long, at the base a little more than 0.1 cm wide, rather obtuse; spur pendent, clavate, 1.25 cm long, obtuse. Column erect, 0.2 cm long, stigmatophores appressed to the lip, carnose, obtuse, slightly longer than the anther channels; mid-lobe of the rostellum low, obtuse. Anther channels short. (After Smith, 1909, as Habenaria rumphii var. meraukensis J.J.Sm.).
Colours: Flowers white or rose red to purple.
Habitat: Terrestrial in grassland at low elevations.
Flowering time in the wild: February.
Distribution: Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, Moluccas, New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 347-523M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial, requires light position and a rather mineral soil.
Note: Normally, Habenaria rumphii has longer lateral lobes to the lip than here described for var. meraukensis. This variety is otherwise identical with H. rumphii, and we consider it to be just a local form.