Habenaria stenantha J. D. Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 6: 153. 1890; Hemihabenaria stenantha (J. D. Hooker) Finet.

Plants 25-32 cm tall. Rootstock elongate, cylindric, stoloniferous. Stem erect, with 1 or 2 tubular sheaths at base, 1- or 2-leaved. Leaves cauline, alternate, widely spaced, elliptic or broadly elliptic, 4-15 × 2-5.5 cm, base contracted and clasping, apex acute. Peduncle slender, with 2-4 foliaceous bracts; rachis 6-15 cm, 7-17-flowered; floral bracts linear-lanceolate, 10-20 mm, basal ones exceeding flowers, apex acuminate. Flowers yellowish green; pedicel and ovary cylindric, 8-12 mm. Dorsal sepal erect, forming a hood with petals, ovate, cymbiform, 4-5 × 2-2.6 mm, 3-veined, margin ciliate, apex obtuse; lateral sepals reflexed, oblong, oblique, 5-6 × 1.5-1.7 mm, 3-veined, margin ciliate, apex obtuse. Petals yellow, erect, linear, oblique, 4-5 × ca. 1 mm, slightly fleshy, 1-veined, apex obtuse; lip yellow, narrowly ovate to ligulate-lanceolate, 5-6 × 2-2.5 mm, entire, apex obtuse; spur pendulous, slightly incurved, cylindric, 12-18 mm, exceeding ovary, slender, slightly dilated toward apex. Column short; staminodes small; anther locules slightly divergent; pollinia obovoid, with long caudicles and lanceolate viscidia; rostellum rather large; stigma lobes confluent, raised, elliptic, placed above mouth of spur. Fl. Aug-Sep.

Evergreen broad-leaved forests, coniferous (Abies and Tsuga) forests; 1500-3100 m. S and SE Xizang (Mêdog, Yadong), Yunnan (Bijiang, Gongshan) [Bhutan, India (Sikkim), N Myanmar, Nepal].