Aerangis montana J.Stewart, Kew Bull. 34: 295 (1979).
Description:
Stem short, up to 6 cm long, 8 mm diam., bearing numerous flexuous roots 2-3 mm in diameter, and two to six leaves in the upper part. Leaves distichous, spreading; ligulate or oblanceolate-ligulate, lightly curved, the apex decidedly unequally bilobed, the lobes rounded, 3-10 mm long, the shorter lobe sometimes almost absent, fleshy, dark green, 10-18 x 2-2,5 cm. Inflorescence arising below the leaves, spreading or pendulous, simply racemose, to 20 cm long, bearing 4-10 flowers; peduncle terete, to 5 cm long, 2-4 mm diam., provided with 2 loose sheaths; rhachis straight, with short, flower-bearing projections 3-5 mm above the insertion of the bracts; bracts tubular, broadly cylindrical, to 4 mm long. Flowers spreading, 1-3 cm apart, becoming closer towards the tip of the rhachis, pale green at first, becoming white, but with the spur, pedicel and base of the tepals salmon- pink; pedicel with ovary curved, 1-5-2 cm long. Dorsal sepal erect, narrowly ovate, apiculate, 13-16 x 5-7 -2 mm; lateral sepals spreading, narrowly ovate, acute or apiculate, 11-15 x 4-6 mm. Petals spreading, narrowly ovate, subacute or obtuse, 11-16 x 4-6 mm. Lip similar to the tepals, 11-18 x 5-5-7-5 mm; spur curving forwards, slightly wider in the distal half, 5-6 cm long. Column short and thick, to 3 mm high; anther cap rounded; rostellum projecting downwards and forwards; pollinia ellipsoid- globose; stipes narrow, 2 mm long; viscidium oblanceolate; stigmatic surface transversely oblong.
Etymology:
The specific name was chosen in allusion to this montane habitat.
Habitat:
Usually growing with its roots among mosses and lichens in evergreen forest on mountains; 1500-2400 m.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Notes:
When the inflorescence axis is present, this species can be clearly distinguished from all other African species because the flowers are borne on small projections of the rhachis, which arise 3-5 mm above the position of insertion of each bract. In several of the long-spurred species the flowers are also borne on small extensions of the rhachis, but in these the projections are situated at, or only just above, the insertion of the bracts.
Distribution:
SW. Tanzania to Zambia
References:
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 314; La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1998). Orchidaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 11(2) Pages 387 – 388; La Croix, I. et al. (1983). Malawi Orchids Volume 1 Epiphytic Orchids National Fauna Preservation Society of Malawi Pages 21 – 22; La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Page 250; 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. 19.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
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