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Aerangis articulata (Rchb.f.) Schltr., Orchideen Beschreib. Kult. Zücht.: 597 (1914).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum articulatum Rchb.f., Gard. Chron. 1872: 73 (1872).
Angorchis articulata (Rchb.f.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 651 (1891).
Rhaphidorhynchus articulatus (Rchb.f.) Poiss., Rech. Fl. Merid. Madag.: 185 (1912).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum descendens Rchb.f., Gard. Chron., n.s., 17: 558 (1882).
Angraecum calligerum Rchb.f., Gard. Chron., n.s., 28: 552 (1887).
Aerangis venusta Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 15: 334 (1918).
Aerangis calligera (Rchb.f.) Garay, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23: 373 (1974).
Description:
Plant with a stout, woody stem, arching upright, bearing leaves only at the apex when long, up to 30 cm long, 10 mm in diameter. Leaves 2-11 in 2 rows, oblong, elliptic, or ligulate, unequally bilobed at the apex, the longer lobe rounded or truncate to 8 mm long, the shorter lobe often absent, dark glossy green becoming dull, paler below, smooth, margins entire, 15-23 cm long, 3-5 cm wide. Inflorescence arising below the leaves in the axils of old leaf sheaths, or axillary, up to 20 (rarely 60) cm long, bearing 2-24 flowers spaced 2-3 cm apart on short flower-bearing projections just above each bract. Flowers white, star-shaped, variable in size, the apical flower usually larger than others and opening first; dorsal sepal erect, or slightly reflexed at the apex, lanceolate, winged or keeled along the mid-line of the outer surface, acute or shortly acuminate, 1.5—3 cm long, 6-9 mm wide; lateral sepals spreading, oblique, winged on the outer surface, similar to the dorsal sepal but slightly narrower; petals similar to sepals but slightly shorter and wider; lip oblong-lanceolate, acute or shortly acuminate, 1.5-3 cm long, 6-9 mm wide; spur straight, slender, 10-15(-20) cm long on apical flowers, 8-12 cm long on lower ones.
Habitat:
In the Comoros, plants were original discovered on Anjouan, but additional details were not given. On Madagascar, this orchid is found on the eastern side of the island in the provinces of Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, and Toamasina. Plants grow in humid evergreen forest for near the coast to the plateau and are found from near sea level to 4600 ft. (1400 m); flowering September to February. Long blooming and frequent blooming orchid species.
Cultivation:
Read more of Cultivation of Aerangis articulata (Rchb.f.) Schltr.
Notes:
This species is easily recognised by its large, star-like (not reflexed) flowers with a short beak on the anther cap. It is sometimes confused with Aerangis modesta but has fewer, larger flowers with a longer spur. Perrier (1941, p. 109) misidentified this species as Aerangis stylosa.
History:
William Ellis (1794–1872) was an English missionary and author. He traveled through the Society Islands, Hawaiian Islands and Madagascar, and wrote several books describing his experiences.
William Ellis visited Madagascar on three different occasions 1853, 1854 and 1856. His main mission was to bring Christianity to the native inhabitants of this island nation and others in the South Seas. Whilst staying in the towns of Tamatare and Antanarivo, and whenever possible he would head out on flora and fauna collecting expeditions, travelling along the rivers or following the coast to places like Foulpointe and Alamazaotra. He discovered on several different trips Angraecum superbum, Aerangis citrata, Angraecum sesquipedale, Angraecum crassum, Angraecum eburneum and others. It was on one of these expeditions that he came across what was to become Aerangis articulata.
Upon his return to England he had brought back a stunning range of species with him. The collection was housed in glasshouses at Rose Hill near Manchester and it was here that the first of three plants of Aerangis articulata flowered in 1871. In 1872 Reichenbach described it in the Gardener's Chronicle calling it Angraecum articulatum. In 1814 Schlechter transferred this in Die Orchideen to the name we now know it by.
Distribution:
Comoros, Madagascar
References:
Du Puy, D., P. Cribb, J. Bosser, J. & C. Hermans. 1999. The Orchids of Madagascar. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, England. Hamilton, R. 1988. When does it flower? 2nd ed. Robert M. Hamilton, 9211 Beckwith Road, Richmond, B. C., Canada V6X 1V7. Hillerman, F. and A. Holst. 1986. An introduction to the cultivated Angraecoid orchids of Madagascar. Timber Press, Portland, Ore. Yearron, S. H. Nov. 17, 1999. WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 08.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
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In culture	In culture	In culture	In culture	Flower details
Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.