Habenaria

Habenaria radiata

Habenaria is a genus of about 600 species comprising the orchid family (Orchidaceae), which is worldwide, but most of all, native to the tropics and subtropics.

Description

The Habenaria species are small, herbaceous, mainly terrestrial, rarely epiphytic or semi- submerged growing plants with rounded, undivided tubers of root and shoot tissue. The roots are fibrous, place above the tuber sprouting from the shoot at. The shoot is erect and unbranched, the leaves sit at the base of forced or distributed on the shoot. They are rather thin in texture, folded along the midrib, often they remain small and bract -like reduced.

The inflorescence is terminal and unbranched, loose or dichtblütig, rarely with only one flower. The bracts are usually well developed, equal in length to the ovary and pedicel together, sometimes leaf-like foliage. The ovary is stalked or sessile. The flowers are 'upside. The sepals are free, the dorsal sepal often forms a hood over the flower, the lateral sepals are repulsed spread to. The lateral petals are usually two-lobed, rarely simple, they are the dorsal sepal to. The lip is usually three-lobed, sometimes entire, at the base bearing with a nectar spur. The column is short, fleshy, cylindrical, firmly adherent in cross section with the stamen. The stamen shows a clear filament, it is zweikammrig, the chambers are provided with a distinct longitudinal groove and are not parallel. The two pollinia are mealy - grained and hanging with one long pedicels ( Caudiculae ) depending on a small viscid disc ( Viscidium ). The scar consists of two stigmatic surfaces that are curved outward or even stalked. The separation between scar tissue and stamen ( rostellum ) forms two lateral appendages.

Dissemination

The genus Habenaria is spread worldwide, especially in the tropics and subtropics, a few species reach in East Asia but also temperate latitudes, and in individual cases, such as Habenaria dentata they are found even in the Himalayas. In Europe, none of the species is native to the Canary Islands, one finds the Canaries helleborine ( Habenaria tridactylites ).

Use

Some species of the genus Habenaria, such as the Japanese Bird Flower ( Habenaria radiata), are now being traded in Europe as ornamental plants. Tubers of Habenaria dentata (English Toothed Habenaria, Chinese Shuang shen zi ) from the Tibetan highlands is in traditional Chinese medicine also a number of health-promoting effects, including strengthening the kidneys and male potency, rumored why you get offered lately frequently on Internet platforms as a natural remedy them.

Botanical history and systematics

The genus Habenaria was erected in 1805 by Carl Ludwig Willdenow. The name derives from the Latin habena, " strap, reins " and refers to the long spur. Type species is Habenaria macroceratistes. Meanwhile include about 600 species of the genus, another 1,200 names are considered as synonyms.

Habenaria is the namesake genus of the subtribe Habenariinae. Dressler provides 23 genera in this subtribe, which he in turn divided into two kinship groups: Habenaria he grouped due to the significantly protruding stigmatic surfaces along with genres such as Arnottia, Bonatea, Cynorkis and Stenoglottis. The relationships to related genera are still largely unclear, it is expected that the demarcation of Habenaria still can change considerably by further studies. The delimitation of the subtribe Habenariinae to Orchidinae is unclear, so that this subdivision was abandoned by some authors.