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Useful Tropical Plants

Habenaria epipactidea

Rchb.f.

Orchidaceae

+ Synonyms

Bonatea foliosa (Sw.) Lindl.

Habenaria foliosa (Sw.) Rchb.f.

Habenaria hircine Rchb.f.

Habenaria perfoliata Kraenzl.

Habenaria polyphylla Kraenzl.

Habenaria rautanenii Kraenzl.

Habenaria schinzii Rolfe

Habenaria trachychila Kraenzl.

Habenella epipactidea (Rchb.f.) Szlach. & Kras-Lap.

Orchis foliosa Sw.

Platantheroides epipactidea (Rchb.f.) Szlach.

Platycoryne rautanenii (Kraenzl.) Szlach. & Olszewski

Platycorynoides epipactidea (Rchb.f.) Szlach.

Platycorynoides hircine (Rchb.f.) Szlach.

Platycorynoides rautanenii (Kraenzl.) Szlach.

Common Name:

Habenaria epipactidea
Flowering plant growing in native habitat
Photograph by: Cameron McMaster; African plants - A Photo Guide
© Cameron McMaster
Habenaria epipactidea Habenaria epipactidea

General Information

Habenaria epipactidea is a terrestrial orchid growing 30 - 55cm tall. The stout, erect stem arises from underground tubers that are variously shaped, up to 6cm long and 3cm wide[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
The tubers are a very popular food, commonly gathered from the wild and sold in local markets as well as in other countries such as Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. This is a promising potential crop for cultivation and breeding[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. The plant is also good for ornamental purposes[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
The plant is locally common but becoming increasingly rare due to over collecting. Harvesting of orchid tubers destroys the whole plant and is thus an unsustainable harvesting method which should be discouraged. To maintain wild populations, studies on domestication are urgently needed[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.

Range

Tropical Africa - Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, S. Africa.

Habitat

Grasslands with short grass, especially where seasonally damp or in rocky gullies, dry bush, at elevations from 1,100 - 1,800 metres[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.40 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details



Tubers can be stored in a cool place for several weeks[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].

Edible Uses

Tubers - cooked[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. They are peeled, cooked and then eaten like potatoes[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. The tubers can be peeled, pounded and then baked into mealy cakes which are eaten with tea[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-01. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Habenaria+epipactidea>

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