Habenaria pantlingiana is a species of orchid that is nativeto Central Himalaya to China (SW. Guangxi, Guangdong) and NE. India, SE. Hainan, Nansei-shotà  to N. & Central Taiwan.
The species is a terrestrial herb reaching up to about 70 cm in height. Tubers are fleshy and oblong, measuring approximately 2âÂÂ4 à1âÂÂ2.5 cm. The stem is erect, green, cylindrical, and stout, bearing 6âÂÂ8 leaves arranged spirally around the middle portion, with 2âÂÂ5 bract-like leaves present above.
Leaves have an oblong-lanceolate to obovate-lanceolate lamina, 10âÂÂ15 à3âÂÂ4.5 cm, with an attenuate base narrowing into an amplexicaul sheath. The leaf margins are undulate, and the apex is acute or acuminate, often slightly curved.
The inflorescence is a densely many-flowered raceme, 4âÂÂ12.5 cm long. Floral bracts are persistent, lanceolate, 16âÂÂ24 à2.5âÂÂ4.2 mm, and typically as long as or longer than the ovary, with a long-acuminate apex. Flowers are green. The dorsal sepal is prominently erect, lanceolate, concave, and long-acuminate, measuring 2.0âÂÂ3.0 à0.4âÂÂ0.6 cm. Lateral sepals are reflexed, oblique, linear, 1.8âÂÂ2.5 à0.3âÂÂ0.5 cm, and long-acuminate at the tip.
Petals are deeply bilobed from the base and divergent, with filiform lobes; the upper lobe measures 1.1âÂÂ1.5 àabout 0.3 cm, and the lower lobe 1.8âÂÂ2.0 àabout 0.3 cm, both tortuous. The labellum is trilobed from the base, 2.0âÂÂ2.5 cm àabout 0.7 mm, with filiform and tortuous lobes; the mid-lobe is usually shorter than the lateral lobes. The spur is pendulous, cylindrical, and 1.5âÂÂ2.0 cm long, roughly equal in length to the ovary. The ovary is cylindrical, twisted, 1.7âÂÂ2.2 cm long, and glabrous. Pollinia are oblong; viscidia are small and orbicular; stigmas are club-shaped.