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Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta (Kraenzl.) J.Stewart, Kew Bull. 34: 310 (1979).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum rhodostictum Kraenzl., Notizbl. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 1: 154 (1896).
Angorchis rhodosticta (Kraenzl.) Kuntze, Deutsche Bot. Monatsschr. 21: 173 (1903).
Aerangis rhodosticta (Kraenzl.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 119 (1918).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum albidorubrum De Wild., Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 5: 180 (1916).
Aerangis albidorubra (De Wild.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 113 (1918).
Angraecum mirabile auct., Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 73: 17 (1923), nom. illeg.
Description:
A small, usually pendulous, monopodial epiphyte that is almost stemless. The short stem is hidden by the basal sheaths of closely set leaves. The roots are often flattened, with thin velamen, are green when wet, and have emerald green tips. Leaves: 6-10. The narrowly strap-shaped leaves are bright green, usually less than 6 in. (15 cm) long, and are succulent and fragile. Inflorescence: 2-3 inflorescences that are usually pendulous, and may reach 15 in. (38 cm) in length, emerge from the lower leaf axils. Flowers: 6-25 on each inflorescence. They are produced in 2 rows on a single plane. The 1-2 in. (2.5-5.0 cm) flowers are long lasting, but are not fragrant. They open very flat, and are well spaced on the inflorescence, which gives the plant a very neat and tidy appearance. Color varies from pure white to ivory white, cream, or pale yellow. The column is bright scarlet or vermilion, which creates a very striking contrast.
Habitat:
The species grows across equatorial Africa from Cameroons and the Congo Republic in the west through the central and western forests of Uganda to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya in the east. In Kenya, the plants are usually found at 3000-5000 ft. (910-1520 m) on the southern and southeastern slopes of Mt. Kenya and on the southern slopes of Mt. Elgon. Aerangis rhodosticta grows in warm, moist conditions, almost always in forests along rivers. Plants normally grow in areas well protected from drought, often near waterfalls. They usually grow on twigs and branches of shrubs, but are occasionally found on tree trunks.
Cultivation:
One of the most ornamental miniature orchids, with long-lasting, 4-6 weeks, flowers, it requires a shaded position, high daytime temperatures (24-28 °C), with high daily temperature range, ideal of 10-12 °C, and humidity, 70-90%, during the vegetative period in spring-summer, cooler conditions (4-5 °C less) and dry (around the 60%) in winter during the rest; a good air movement is important. It prefers to stay on a cork raft or on branches, possibly with some sphagnum at the base; it can be cultivated also in pot with medium-sized bark, or other draining material, but the risk of stagnating humidity is bigger with consequent radical rottenness. Rainwater, or water obtained by reverse osmosys or demineralized is to be used for the waterings and the nebulisations. It is quite sensitive to the damage of the roots and therefore a particular care is to be taken in the repotting or in the positioning on bark. The fertilizations, appropriately distributed in way to avoid accumulation of salts, are to be done preferably with balanced water-soluble products, with micro-elements, at half dosage, or less, of what suggested on the package.
Distribution:
WC. & E. Trop. Africa to S. Ethiopia
References:
Beaton, C. 1985. Indoor light culture for Aerangis rhodosticta. American Orchid Society Bulletin, 54(8):963; Bechtel, H., P. Cribb, and E. Launert. 1980. Manual of cultivated orchid species. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.; Cavestro, W. 1980. Aerangis rhodosticta (Krzl) Schltr. - An African pygmy. American Orchid Society Bulletin, 49(5):509; Hawkes, A. D. (1965) 1987. Encyclopaedia of cultivated orchids. Faber and Faber, London; Hillerman, F. 1986. Growing Aerangis Orchids. American Orchid Society Bulletin, 55(8):803; Hillerman, F. E., and A. W. Holst. 1986. An introduction to the cultivated Angraecoid orchids of Madagascar; Timber Press, Portland, Ore.;Northen, R. T. 1980. Miniature orchids. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York; Piers, F. 1968. Orchids of East Africa-Nairobi, Kenya. Verlag von J. Cramer, 3301 Lehre; Stewart, J. 1984. Growing Angraecoid orchids - Part 1 - Introduction. American Orchid Society Bulletin, 53(7):731.;Text from Dr. Giuseppe Mazza and his Contributors; http://www.photomazza.com/?-Copyright-&lang=en; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 19.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
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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.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.