Habenaria ensigera Renz, Pl. Syst. Evol. 155 (1987) 319, fig. 1a-f
Type: Royen, van 5306 (holo K; iso L, LAE)
Terrestrial, 50 cm high, at the base 4-6-leaved. Leaves rosulate-crowded, narrowly elliptic, 15 by 3 cm, base petiolate, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescence racemose; peduncle 40 cm long, peduncle-scales small, lanceolate, acuminate; rachis 10 cm long, rather laxly many-flowered. Floral bracts ovate, about half as long as the ovary, apex shortly acuminate. Ovary straight, 1.5-2 cm long, weakly 6-ribbed, the ribs very minutely ciliate. Flowers small, erect-patent. Median sepal erect, 0.5-0.55 by 0.4 cm, strongly concave, outside keeled along the mid-vein, the keel very shortly ciliate, apex more or less uncinate. Lateral sepals deflexed, ovate, 0.5-0.55 by 0.25-0.3 cm, apex subacute. Petals entire, linear, slightly widened along the anterior margin at the base, 0.5-0.55 by 0.1-0.12 cm. Lip 3-lobed at 0.2 cm above the base, 0.5-0.6 cm long, spurred; lateral lobes narrowly rectangular, 0.45 by 0.1-0.12 cm, obtuse, shortly and irregularly bilobulate-emarginate; mid-lobe narrower, somewhat carnose, almost triangular in cross-section, slightly curved, 0.4-0.45 by 0.05-0.07 cm; spur slender cylindrical, sometimes slightly twisted towards the apex, 1.7 cm long, acute. Column 0.2 cm long, obtuse; rostellum with low, triangular-obtuse mid-lobe; staminodes large; stigmatophores very short, 0.05 cm long. Anther channels abbreviated, 0.08 cm long. (After Renz, 1987).
Colours: Sepals and petals light green, lip light orange, spur whitish with green tip, anther light yellow.
Habitat: Not recorded, on the bank of a creek. Altitude 100 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea. See map: 347-185M.JPG
Cultivation: Warm growing terrestrial.