Home

Angraecum mahavavense H.Perrier, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 7: 131 (1938).
Description:
Plants acaulis and generally 15 cm tall, with 5-6 widely linear leaves (7-14 x 1-1.2 cm), coriaceous, rigid, shortly bilobed-obtuse apically; sheaths short, finely many veined. Inflorescence solitary, below the leaves, 3-5 cm long, much shorter titan the leaves, 3-5 flowered; peduncle thick and very short (7-10 mm); rachis with 3-5 articulations, 6-10 mm long, compressed, enlarged gradually from the base toward the apex; bracts scarious, shortly emarginate; flowers white, average in size, inserted into the notch formed by the alternate character of the articulations of the rachis. Sepals 1.4-1.5 cm long, attenuate from the wide base to the acute apex. Petals smaller (1.2-1.3 cm x 3-3.5 mm). Labellum oval-acute, 1.3-1.6 cm long 7- 10 mm wide above the base, bare basally, 11veined, veins not visible when live, obsolete when dry, the medians simple, the laterals bifurcate; spur with a narrow oriface, linear or slightly attenuate toward the apex, 5-6 cm long. Anther 2.5 mm wide and projecting truncate in front with 2 small lateral teeth. Column thick, 3 mm tall; auricles slightly projecting, rounded in front, flat behind; median tooth of the rostellum absent. Pedicel 2 cm long. Capsule obovate (3 x 1.1cm), with 3 angles and 3 wings well developed.
Habitat:
Epiphytes of trunks; in tropical woods; flowering in October.
Cultivation:
Since no details of the natural habitat of this plant were known, it was mounted on cork bark with a small moss base, misted daily, given medium to subdued light, and good air movement. Blooming occurred in June and July. This species would probably do equally well in a pot, as most angraecums do. Only two plants have ever been received from the island.
Notes:
It is indeed quite showy, with typical Angraecum star-shaped flowers. It is a very small plant, with a leaf spread of 20 cm, and a vertical measurement of 10 cm. It gives every indication of being very content on a 10 x 30 cm (4 x 12 inches) slab or never outgrowing a 4-inch pot. The inflorescence resembles that of Angraecum humbertii, and is definitely not of the section Perrierangraecum, and the inflorescence carried 5 flowers, which opened progressively. When the buds are almost mature and ready to open, they turn quite yellowish; this color is "lost" as the flowers open. This would seem to be a valuable plant for the hybridizer, since it does have a multi-flowered inflorescence. For exampie, one couid speculate that a cross between this species and Angraecum ses quipedale might produce an ideal offspring—hopefully much smaller in size than Angraecum sesquipedale but retaining the multiflorum spike and large flowers. This is definitely a species worth preserving.
Distribution:
N. Madagascar
References:
Flora of Madagascar Perrier 1939/81; Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans and Campbell 2007; Orchids of Madagascar Hermans 2007; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 27.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.

Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ	Habitat/In situ
Photograph© Gasikara Natiora Tiako. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Gasikara Natiora Tiako. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Gasikara Natiora Tiako. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Gasikara Natiora Tiako. Image used with kind permission.