Long Tailed Hebanaria

Description:

While trekking on top of kodachadri hilll ranges, i spotted this flower. Long-Tailed Habenaria is a 1-3 ft high terrestrial herb. Oblong-elliptic leaves are 3-10, clustered on the base, and lie flat on the ground. Flowers occur on a long erect stalk which is 30-80 cm tall. White fragrant flowers are 1-4 in number. Greenish white petals are 10-14 mm long.

Notes:

Flowers have a spur which is 10-15 cm long! Overall, the flowers have the shape of an inverted funnel. The Nilgiris have 17 species of orchids belonging to the Habenaria genus and it is usual to see hundreds of these, flowering side by side on a single grassy and rocky slope.