Habenaria euryloba
Habenaria euryloba, commonly known as the small rein orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to a small area in far north Queensland. It has two or three leaves at its base and up to twenty small white flowers with a trident-like labellum.
Description
Habenaria euryloba is a tuberous, perennial herb with two or three leaves at its base, the leaves long and wide. Between eight and twenty white flowers, long and wide are borne on a flowering stem tall. The dorsal sepal and petals are long and about wide and joined at their bases to form a hood over the column. The lateral sepals are long, about wide, turn downwards and spread widely apart from each other. The labellum is long and wide with three lobes appearing like a trident. The middle lobe is about long and wide while the side lobes are much narrower and slightly shorter. The nectary spur is straight, white with a green tip, long and about wide. Flowering occurs between December and February.
Taxonomy and naming
Habenaria euryloba was first formally described in 1998 by David Jones from a specimen collected near Cooktown in 1992 and the description was published in The Orchadian. The specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek words eurys meaning "broad", "wide" or "widespread" and lobos meaning "a rounded projection or protuberance".
Distribution and habitat
The small rein has a narrow distribution near Cooktown where it grows with sedges and rushes in summer-wet swamps and Melaleuca viridiflora wetland.