Plants in the genus
Habenaria are mainly
terrestrial plants with fleshy
tubers and upright, tall, thin or fleshy stems. The leaves are either arranged in a
rosette at the base of the plants or scattered up the stem. The flowers are
resupinate, usually small, white, green or yellowish and arranged along a tall flowering stem. The
dorsal sepal and
petals overlap to form a hood over the
column. The
labellum has a spur and usually three lobes which may be short or long and threadlike. The distinguishing feature of the genus is the presence of two club-shaped projections on the
stigma. ==Taxonomy and naming==