Habenaria retroflexa F.Muell. & Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 17 (1893) 488
Type: Collector? s.n. (New Guinea) (holo B, lost)
A terrestrial herb up to 70 cm tall. Stem erect. Leaves basal or scattered along basal half of stem, ovate, acute, narrowed at base, 20-30 by 4.5-7 cm; petioles up to 9 cm long, sheathing at base. Inflorescence up to 55 cm long, many-flowered. Floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 1.5-2.2 by 0.5-0.8 cm. Pedicel and ovary 1.8-2.8 cm long, 3-winged. Median sepal ovate, 0.7-0.8 by 0.35-0.45 cm, forming a helmet with the petals. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate, 0.75-0.8 by 0.3-0.33 cm. Petals linear, obtuse, 0.7-0.8 by 0.1-0.18 cm. Lip 3-lobed, the lobes linear, the mid-lobe 0.45-0.7 by 0.08-0.1 cm, with 2 obscure calli at the base, the lateral lobes 0.6-0.9 by 0.1-0.2 cm, the spur filiform, 1.4-2.3 cm long. Column 0.3 cm long. (After Lewis and Cribb, 1991).
Colours: Flowers green, usually with pale purple spotting and with a pale yellow-green lip.
Habitat: Not known.
Flowering time in the wild: Not known
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea), Solomon Islands.
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua New Guinea.