Habenaria nyikana subsp. nyikana floral complexity

The extent to which sepals and lips are bent backwards into contorted shapes is displayed in this Habenaria nyikana subsp. nyikana inflorescence. The length of the spurs is quite remarkable in this plant, considering the flower size.

Like many Habenaria species in bloom, the inflorescence is a rather busy affair with tubes, threads and flaps all over the place. They obscure the precise regularity of the repeated floral shapes in a tousled mass of fleshy material... until closer scrutiny discloses the flower perfection.

Eight to many more flowers are usually borne in these inflorescences, reaching lengths from 10 cm to 35 cm (www.orchidspecies.com).