Holothrix madagascariensis Rolfe , Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 29: 55 ( Rolfe 1893 ) Habenaria madagascariensis (Rolfe) Schltr., Oesterreichische Botanische Zeittschrift 49: 23 (1899) Peristylus madagascariensis (Rolfe) Rolfe , Orchid Review 7 (73): 4 ( Rolfe 1899 ) Platanthera madagascariensis (Rolfe) Kraenzl. , Orchidacearum Genera et Species 1: 609 ( Kraenzlin 1899 ) Benthamia litoralis Hervouet & Descourv. Peristylus macropetalus Finet , Notulae Systematicae 2: 24 ( Finet 1911 ) Revision of the genus Benthamia A. Rich. (Orchidaceae, Orchidioideae, Habenariinae) Hervouet, Jean-Michel Descourvières, Pascal Hermans, Johan Longou, Ludivine Adansonia 2025 3 2025-07-21 47 11 171 249 LHMQ (Rolfe) Schltr. Schltr. Rolfe [898,1370,1810,1838] Liliopsida Orchidaceae Benthamia Plantae Asparagales 46 215 Tracheophyta species madagascariensis  ( Fig. 64)    Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt34 (2): 300 ( Schlechter 1916). —   Holothrix madagascariensisRolfe,  Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany29: 55 ( Rolfe 1893); Perrier 1939: 35. —   Habenaria madagascariensis(Rolfe) Schltr., Oesterreichische Botanische Zeittschrift49: 23 (1899). —   Peristylus madagascariensis(Rolfe) Rolfe, Orchid Review7 (73): 4 ( Rolfe 1899). —   Platanthera madagascariensis(Rolfe) Kraenzl., Orchidacearum Genera et Species1: 609 ( Kraenzlin 1899).   FIG. 63. —  Benthamia litoralisHervouet & Descourv., sp. nov.: drawing by Marie-Aimée Allard: A, habit; B, side view of flower and ovary; C, front view of flower; D, part of rachis with swollen fruits. Scale bars: A, 1 cm; B, C, 1 mm; D, 0.5 cm.    Peristylus macropetalusFinet, Notulae Systematicae2: 24 ( Finet 1911). — Type: sine loc.; culture in P; XII.1910, M.F. Geay s.n.; holotype: P[P00334758]!.    TYPE  MATERIAL. —   Madagascar• Anosy, near Fort-Dauphin; 25°02’S, 46°59’E;  G.F. Scott Elliot2643; lectotype: K!, selected by Hermans et al.(2007: 73);  isolectotype: P[ P00094529]!.   ETYMOLOGY. — “Madagascariensis”, from Madagascar.   PHENOLOGY. — February to August.   DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Madagascar. Only in the Anosy region in the north of Fort-Dauphin, except for one possibly dubious record from the south of Antananarivo. In coastal marshes ( Fig. 65).   CONSERVATION. — This species is widespread in marshland in the Fort-Dauphin region but is threatened by the mining activities in the coastal sands of this region, so it should be considered now as Near Threatened (NT).   ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. —   Madagascar• Atsimo-Atsinanana, plains near Vaingandrano; 23°20’50”S, 47°36’50”E; 6.III;  G.F. Scott Elliot2257; K[ K000415554],  BM[ BM000076235]! •  sine loc.; 1897;  L.D.M. Catat4326; P[ P00334762, P00334763, P00334764]! •  Anosy, région de Fort-Dauphin; 1897;  G. Paroisse28; P[ P00334765, P00334766]! •  Analamanga, damp area near Manjakandriana; 18°54’37”S, 47°48’29”E;  VI.1905;  C. d’Alleizette7066b; L[ L1487718]! •  Anosy, Manantenina;  10.VI.1926;  R. Decary3876; P[ P00334770]! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin;  24.VI.1926;  R. Decary4087; P[ P00334773]! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin;  26.VI.1926;  R. Decary3982; P[ P00334771, P00334772]! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin;  1.V.1932;  R. Decary9793; P[ P00334774]! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin, Pic Saint-Louis; alt.  300 m;  3.VII.1932;  R. Decary9973; P[ P00334776]!,  BM[ BM000034591!,  BM000034592]!,  K!,  TAN! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin;  30.VIII.1932;  R. Decary9841; P[ P00334775]! •  Anosy, Soanierana, district de Fort-Dauphin; 25°00’S, 46°53’E;  16.X.1932;  R. Decary10776; P[ P00334777]! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin;  21.VIII.1937;  Poisson2635; TAN! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin;  6.VI.1939;  R. Decary14129; P[ P00334778]! •  Anosy, vallée du Mandrare, affluent de la Manampanihy, montagne au sud de Tanandava; 24°26’00”S, 47°00’00”E; alt.  850 m;  11-16.III.1947;  H. Humbert20555; P[ P00334759]! •  Anosy, bassin de la Manampanihy, mont Vohimavo au nord d’Ampasimena; 24°22’S, 47°10’E; alt.  830 m;  27-28.III.1947;  H. Humbert20720; P[ P00334760, P00334761]!,  K[ K000718265]!,  TAN!,  G! •  Anosy, RN 11, Canton Enomihila, district de Manantenina; 24°17’S, 47°19’E;  28.V.1953;  D. Ramarokoto5432RN; P[ P00334767, P00326093]! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin;  10.IV.1956;  Raonarivelo85111; P[ P00692460]! •  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin, Pic Saint-Louis trail; 25°00’29”S, 46°57’42”E;  12.V.1968;  D. Seligson594; P[ P00334768noted ”purple flowers” so questionable]! •  Anosy, route de Manantenina, environs de Fort-Dauphin;  4.IV.1969;  Y. Veyret1041; P[ P00334769]! •  Anosy, Fort Dauphin, Pic Saint-Louis;  VII.1969;  F. Friedmann181; TAN! •  Anosy, Sainte-Luce;  23.IV.1969;  W. RauhR22146; HEID[ HEID740744, HEID740745, HEID740746]! •  Atsimo-Andrefana, Tuléar, route entre Mahatalaky et Manafiafy,  2 kmà l’ouest du village d’Ambandrika; 24°46’S, 47°12’E; alt.  0-10 m;  13.VI.1994;  A. Randrianasolo367; P[ P02103231]!,  K!,  MO[ MO3022641]!,  TAN!•  Anosy, Fort-Dauphin area; 24°47’30”S, 47°05’00”E; 1999;  J. Hermans4242; K! •  Anosy, near Mahatalaky, Tolagnaro province; 2001;  J. Hermans5351; K! •  Anosy, Iabakoho, Antsotso Avaratra, Ivohibe; 24°34’10”S, 47°12’26”E; alt.  105 m;  V.2006;  C. Birkinshawet al. 1639; K[ K000395392]!,  P[ P00593236]!,  MO!,  TAN! •  Anosy, Mahatalaky; alt.  10 m;  5.VIII.2012;  N. Rakotonirina783; MO[ MO3022627]!.   NOTES According to Rolfe,  Holothrix madagascariensis( Rolfe 1893: 55)has the habit of  Habenaria glaberrimaRidleybut is readily distinguished by the laxer rachis with larger flowers, the much larger lateral lobes of the lip, and the very short saccate spur. In Rolfe’s publication the species is illustrated on plate XII, which is mislabelled  Habenaria elliotii. The specimen C. d’Alleizette 7066bin L (L1487718) was collected close to Antananarivo, very far from the distribution range given by other records. We consider the locality dubious. Note that there is also a second specimen C. d’Alleizette 7066bin L (L1487725), of  Benthamia monophylla. A specimen in P ( D. Seligson 594) has a note saying that the flowers are purple. This is questionable since all specimens seen in the wild so far have white flowers. See also: Cribb & Hermans (2009: 47), Bosser & Lecoufle (2011: 178), Hervouet (2018: 166).   DESCRIPTION Erect terrestrial herb, 25-50 cmtall. Tubers 1-2, ovoid, roots wiry, c. 1 mmin diameter, up to 20 cmlong. Stem 2-5 mmin diameter, with leaves on the lower half, higher up with 3-4 narrow bladed sheaths. Leaves 3-6, linear, 8-15 cm× 3-5 mm. Rachis 5-10 cm, with 15-40 flowers rather densely distributed. Floral bracts narrow, very acute, 7-10 × 1-2 mm. Ovary fusiform, straight, 7-12 × 1-2 mm. Flowers forming a green tube at the base, secund, white; sepals 1-veined, clearly linear, dorsal sepal 5-10.5 × 0.6-2.2 mm, the lateral sepals a little shorter, 5-10 × 0.9- 2 mm, adnate to the petals and to the lip; petals longer and wider than sepals, 5.2-10 × 0.3-2 mm, oblanceolatelinear, rounded at the tip, 1-veined; lip 8-10 × 3-7 mm, narrow, divided into three lobes in the upper quarter; lobes equal, c. 3 mmlong, 1-1.5 mmwide; spur very shortly saccate, 0.8-1.1 × 0.6-1 mm, as wide at the base as high. Column 1.2-2.8 × 1-2 mm, anther apiculate; auricles broadly oblong, as long as the anther; rostellum with the median tooth twice as long as the lateral, obtuse and gutter-shaped at the apex. 5898708373 K G. F. Scott Elliot Madagascar -25.033333 near Fort-Dauphin 1248 46.983334 Anosy 48 217 1 lectotype 5898708865 [302,577,606,631] P G. F. Scott Elliot Madagascar -25.033333 Fort-Dauphin 1248 46.983334 Anosy 48 217 P00094529 1 isolectotype 5898708990 K G. F. Scott Elliot Madagascar -23.347223 Atsimo-Atsinanana 21 47.613888 48 217 K000415554 1 5898708832 [542,752,1035,1059] BM G. F. Scott Elliot Madagascar -23.347223 Atsimo-Atsinanana 21 47.613888 48 217 BM000076235 1 5898708989 P L. D. M. Catat 48 217 P00334762, P00334763, P00334764 1 5898708305 P G. Paroisse Anosy Anosy 48 217 P00334765, P00334766 1 region de Fort-Dauphin 5898708892 1905-06 L C. d'Alleizette -18.910278 Analamanga 21 47.808056 48 217 L1487718 1 5898708336 1926-06-10 P R. Decary Anosy Manantenina 48 217 P00334770 1 5898708325 1926-06-24 P R. Decary Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 P00334773 1 5898708771 1926-06-26 P R. Decary Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 P00334771, P00334772 1 5898708368 1932-05-01 P R. Decary Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 P00334774 1 5898708667 1932-07-03 P R. Decary Pic Saint-Louis 300 Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 P00334776 1 5898708619 [371,588,1331,1355] 1932-07-03 BM R. Decary Pic Saint-Louis 300 Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 BM000034591 1 5898709150 [597,774,1331,1355] 1932-07-03 BM R. Decary Pic Saint-Louis 300 Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 BM000034592 1 5898708579 [132,161,1358,1382] 1932-07-03 K R. Decary Pic Saint-Louis 300 Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 1 5898709075 [167,220,1358,1382] 1932-07-03 TAN R. Decary Pic Saint-Louis 300 Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 1 5898708552 1932-08-30 P R. Decary Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 P00334775 1 5898708925 1932-10-16 P R. Decary district de Fort-Dauphin -25.0 Anosy 1248 46.883335 48 217 P00334777 1 5898709052 [132,685,1438,1463] 1937-08-21 TAN Poisson Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 1 5898708576 1939-06-06 P R. Decary Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 P00334778 1 5898709137 1947-03-11 1947-03-16 1947-03-11 P H. Humbert 850 -24.433332 Anosy 21 47.0 48 217 P00334759 1 5898708732 1947-03-27 1947-03-28 1947-03-27 P H. Humbert 830 -24.366667 Anosy 1252 47.166668 48 217 P00334760, P00334761 1 5898708951 [270,444,1627,1651] 1947-03-27 1947-03-28 1947-03-27 K H. Humbert 830 -24.366667 Anosy 1252 47.166668 48 217 K000718265 1 5898708611 [447,509,1627,1651] 1947-03-27 1947-03-28 1947-03-27 TAN H. Humbert 830 -24.366667 Anosy 1252 47.166668 48 217 1 5898708613 [514,535,1627,1651] 1947-03-27 1947-03-28 1947-03-27 G H. Humbert 830 -24.366667 Anosy 1252 47.166668 48 217 1 5898709090 1953-05-28 P D. Ramarokoto district de Manantenina -24.283333 Anosy 1252 47.316666 48 217 P00334767, P00326093 1 5898708897 1956-04-10 P Raonarivelo Anosy Fort-Dauphin 48 217 P00692460 1 5898708955 1968-05-12 P D. Seligson -25.008055 Anosy 21 46.961666 48 217 P00334768 1 5898709104 1969-04-04 P Y. Veyret Anosy 48 217 P00334769 1 5898708435 1969-07 TAN F. Friedmann Pic Saint-Louis Anosy Fort Dauphin 48 217 1 5898708342 1969-04-23 HEID W. Rauh Anosy Sainte-Luce 48 217 HEID740744, HEID740745, HEID740746 1 5898708451 1994-06-13 P A. Randrianasolo 5 -24.766666 Atsimo-Andrefana 1249 47.2 48 217 P02103231 1 5898708941 [530,559,1977,2001] 1994-06-13 K A. Randrianasolo 5 -24.766666 Atsimo-Andrefana 1249 47.2 48 217 1 5898708630 [568,774,1976,2000] 1994-06-13 MO A. Randrianasolo 5 -24.766666 Atsimo-Andrefana 1249 47.2 48 217 MO3022641 1 5898708970 [134,187,2003,2027] 1994-06-13 TAN A. Randrianasolo 5 -24.766666 Atsimo-Andrefana 1249 47.2 48 217 1 5898708544 [208,1004,552,2028] K J. Hermans -24.791666 Anosy 21 47.083332 48 217 1 5898708740 K J. Hermans Tolagnaro province Anosy Mahatalaky 48 217 1 5898708622 2006-05 K C. Birkinshaw 105 -24.569445 Anosy 21 47.207222 48 217 K000395392 1 5898708803 [1161,1318,631,656] 2006-05 P C. Birkinshaw 105 -24.569445 Anosy 21 47.207222 48 217 P00593236 1 5898708427 [1324,1379,632,656] 2006-05 MO C. Birkinshaw 105 -24.569445 Anosy 21 47.207222 48 217 1 5898709059 [1383,1436,632,656] 2006-05 TAN C. Birkinshaw 105 -24.569445 Anosy 21 47.207222 48 217 1 5898708421 2012-08-05 MO N. Rakotonirina 10 Anosy Mahatalaky 48 217 MO3022627 1