Aerangis carnea J.Stewart, Kew Bull. 34: 271 (1979).
Description:
Stem short, up to 8 cm long, 5 mm in diameter, bearing numerous flexuous greyish roots 2-3 mm in diameter below, and several leaves above. Leaves distichous, sometimes falcate, oblanceolate, gradually narrowed towards the sheathing base, apex unequally bilobed, the lobes triangular-acute, 3-20 mm long, slightly fleshy, dark green and glossy, venation distinctly reticulate in the dried state, up to 15 cm long, 3 cm wide near the apex. Inflorescence spreading or pendulous, axillary, 2-7-flowered; peduncle terete, 3-8 cm long, 1-2 mm in diameter and bearing 2-3 tubular sheaths; rhachis ? straight, slightly zigzag between the flowers in the upper part; bracts ovate, acute, 5-7 mm long, Flowers flesh-coloured or pinkish- white with a pink spur, 1 2-3 cm apart; pedicel with ovary 2-5-3-5 cm long. Dorsal sepal erect or arching forward over the column, narrowly ovate, long acuminate, 33-35 x 5-6 mm; lateral sepals reflexed or spreading, oblong-ovate below, acuminate, 35-42 x 3-5 mm. Petals reflexed, obovate, acuminate, 23-28 x 3-5-4 mm. Lip obovate, long acuminate 27-30 x 5-7 mm; spur slightly incurved, swollen in the apical half but narrowing towards the tip, 5.5-6.5 cm long. Column straight or slightly curved, inflated above, terete below, 5-6 mm long; anther small, cap nearly circular with a prominent beak at the centre; rostellum gradually tapering, extending nearly across the stigmatic surface; pollinia reniform-globose; stipes slender, 2 mm long; viscidium elliptic-obovate, 0-6 mm long; stigmatic surface transversely elongated, 2 mm long, 3-4 mm wide.
Habitat:
Epiphyte of shady forests, often near rivers; 1430-1830 m.
Notes:
The most distinctive feature of this species is the pink colour of the long narrow tepals, which, in cultivation at least, often have their margins reflexed so that they appear narrower than they actually are. Many species of Aerangis have a certain amount of pink in the spur, the ovary, and the basal parts of the perianth, but no other that I have seen is so nearly flesh- coloured as this: the epithet carnea was chosen for this reason. This species is obviously closely related to A. gravenreuthii but its flowers are slightly larger and all the tepals narrower. When not in flower the plants are easily dis tinguished by the acute tips of the apical lobes of the leaf in A. carnea
Cultivation:
Intermediate to cool conditions, in heavy shade and with high humidity. Plants seem to do better mounted. The species is not common in cultivation; some plants that have been offered for sale under the name Aerangis carnea turned out to be Aerangis distincta. The latter has leaves that are widest at the apex, while leaves of Aerangis carnea are widest below the apex, and narrow again slightly towards the tip. In flower, Aerangis distincta can be recognized easily by the larger flowers with a much longer spur.
Distribution:
SW. Tanzania to Malawi
References:
An Introduction to the Cultivated Angraecoid Orchids of Madagascar Hillerman & Holst 1986; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 3 Cribb 1989; African Orchids In the wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 2 Pope 1998; Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans, Campbell 2006; Stewart, J. (1979). Stewart, J. (1979). A Revision of the African Species of Aerangis (Orchidaceae) Kew Bulletin, Vol. 34, No. 2 (1979), pp. 239-319. WCSP (2017). WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 18.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
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