Aerangis somalensis (Schltr.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 120 (1918).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum somalense Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 38: 163 (1906).
Description:
Stem short, upright, bearing numerous greyish, flexuous roots, 5-7 mm diam. Leaves 2-6, distichous, oblong-ligulate, leathery, greyish-green, with a markedly reticulate venation darker coloured and raised on the upper surface, conspicuous even in the dried state, unequally or subequally bilobed at the apex, the lobes subacute or rounded, 5-15 mm long, margins thickened and undulate, sometimes the whole leaf with a pink or reddish cast, others pale green, 2-11 x 1-3-3-4 cm. Inflorescences arising below the leaves, usually several, 10-20 cm long, bearing 4-17 flowers; bracts brownish, ovate, up to 5 mm long. Flowers white, sometimes tinged with pink, 1-2 cm apart, pedicellate ovary 1-5-2 cm long. Dorsal sepal arching forward over the column, ovate, concave, slightly thickened into an apiculus at its tip, 8- 10 x 4-6 mm; lateral sepals oblique or reflexed, oblong-ligulate, concave, apiculate, 9-14 x 3-5 mm. Petals spreading, oblong-apiculate, 8-11 x 3- 5-5 mm. Lip oblong-ligulate, the margins reflexed in the lower half, apiculate, 9-13 x 4-7 mm; spur straight or slightly curved, sometimes slightly inflated in the lower half but narrowing again towards the tip, 10-15 cm long. Column rather thick, to 4 mm high; anther cap slightly beaked; pollinia globose, 0-8 mm long; stipes slender but enlarged in the upper third; viscidium ovoid, 1-1.5 mm long, with outer margins rolled over the pointed rostellum.
Habitat:
Plants are found on trees and at the base of branching shrubs in woodland, often in rather dry areas, at 3300-5900 ft. (1000-1800 m). They may also be found in along streams and on rocky outcrops on prominent hills in the dry eastern parts of Kenya.
Notes:
Aerangis somalensis always has smaller flowers than Aerangis verdickii, with a completely smooth lip, and a different flowering season in April to June, though some Kenya plants persistently flower in October. This species can also be recognized by the markedly reticulate venation of the leaves, which is visible even on herbarium sheets. The distribution of this species seems remarkably widespread and there is a gap of approximately 650 km between known localities in southern Tanzania and the Transvaal. It seems probable, however, that Aerangis somalensis will be discovered in some of the intervening areas in due course.
Cultivation:
Read more of cultivation of Aerangis somalensis (Schltr.) Schltr.
Distribution:
SW. Ethiopia to Northern Prov.
References:
African orchids in the wild and in cultivation. Timber Press, Portland, OR. Stewart, J. and B. Campbell. 1996. Orchids of Kenya. Timber Press, Portland, OR. Yearron, S. H. Nov. 17, 1999; A Revision of the African Species of Aerangis (Orchidaceae) Kew Bulletin, Vol. 34, No. 2 (1979), pp. 239-319; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 20.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
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| In culture | In culture |
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| Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission. | Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission. |
