Tridactyle armeniaca (Lindl.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 143 (1918).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum armeniacum Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 25(Misc.): 67 (1839).
Angorchis armeniaca (Lindl.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 651 (1891).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Sarcanthus armeniacus Rchb.f., Allg. Gartenzeitung 24: 219 (1856).
Angraecum whitfieldii Rendle, J. Bot. 33: 249 (1895).
Tridactyle whitfieldii (Rendle) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 148 (1918).
Description:
Plant with long erect stems and robust aerial roots. Leaves in 2 rows, ligulate or lanceolate-ligulate, unequally bilobed at the apex, 5-20 cm long, 1-2 cm wide. Inflorescences up to 8 cm long, 8- to 10-flowered. Flowers orange, small; sepals broadly lanceolate, acute, 2.5-4.5 mm long; lateral sepals similar but oblique, connate at the base; petals linear, lanceolate, acute; lip 3-lobed at about the middle, side lobes spreading and narrow, longer than mid-lobe, entire, mid-lobe triangular, acute, in total 2.5-4.5 mm long, 3.5-5.5 mm wide; spur distinctly swollen in the apical two thirds, 6-8.5 mm long.
Habitat:
Epiphyte in montane rain forest on large branches and in the forks of large trees; 600-1500 m; flowering in February.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, warm to cool growing epiphyte.
Distribution:
W. Trop. Africa to Gabon, São Tomé
References:
Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans and Campbell 2006; World Checklist of Monocotyledons. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/monocots/ accessed 21.03.2017
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