Aerangis coriacea Summerh., Gard. Chron., III, 131: 96 (1952).
Description:
Stem woody up to 10 mm diam., erect or prostrate, up to 40 cm long, closely leafy above and covered with old leaf bases in the lower part from which stout greyish roots up to 5 mm diam. arise. Leaves distichous, 4- many, ligulate or oblanceolate-ligulate, only slightly widened in the upper part, gradually narrowed below, unequally bilobed at the apex, the longer lobe rounded and incurved, up to 1 cm long, the shorter rounded or absent, fleshy in texture, deep green with the transverse veins showing up clearly in a darker colour, margins sometimes undulate, up to 22 x 2-4.5 cm. Inflorescences arising from the axils of the upper leaves, arching racemes up to 40 cm long bearing 4-22 flowers; peduncle terete, up to 15 cm long, 3-6 mm diam., bearing several tight sheaths; rhachis slightly zigzag, gradually tapering, tinged reddish; bracts spreading from a short sheathing base, broadly ovate up to 1 cm long. Flowers spreading, 1-3 cm apart, white with a rose pink or green diffusion at the base of the tepals, the spur pinkish or greenish; pedicel with ovary 2-3 cm long. Dorsal sepal erect or slightly reflexed, lanceolate-elliptic, margins recurved, 13-20 x 7-10 mm; lateral sepals strongly reflexed, apiculate, oblanceolate-ligulate, margins recurved, 14-19 x 5-7 mm. Petals reflexed, oblanceolate-oblong, margins recurved, 13-17 x 5-8 mm. Lip deflexed, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, margins recurved in the middle, acute at the reflexed apex, 14-18 x 6-10 mm; spur pendulous, flexuous, narrowly cylindrical but widened and somewhat flattened in the apical half, 11-17 cm long. Column thick c. 4 mm long; androclinium gently sloping; rostellum deflexed but curved upwards towards the apex; pollinia ellipsoid; stipes slender, slightly widened in the upper part; viscidium elliptic-oblong; stigma transversely oblong.
Habitat:
Plants grow as epiphytes, usually rather low tree trunks or larger branches, and is found in shaded conditions in upland forests, often near rivers, at 4250-7550 ft. (1300-2300 m).
Cultivation:
Read more of Cultivation of Aerangis coriacea Summerh.
Distribution:
Kenya to N. Tanzania
References:
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. 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. Stewart, J., J. Hermans, and B. Campbell. 2006, Angraecoid Orchids. Timber Press, Portland, OR; Stewart, J. (1979). 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. 18.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.
