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Angraecum distichum Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 21: t. 1781 (1836).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Aeranthes disticha (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 901 (1864).
Mystacidium distichum (Lindl.) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl (eds.), Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2(6): 216 (1889).
Epidorchis disticha (Lindl.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 660 (1891).
Macroplectrum distichum (Lindl.) Finet, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 54(9): 22 (1907).
Dolabrifolia disticha (Lindl.) Szlach. & Romowicz, Richardiana 7: 54 (2007).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Limodorum imbricatum Sw., Neues J. Bot. 1: 87 (1805).
Angraecum imbricatum (Sw.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 158 (1918), nom. illeg.
Angraecum poppendickianum Szlach. & Olszewski, in Fl. Cameroun 36: 884 (2001).
Dolabrifolia poppendickiana (Szlach. & Olszewski) Szlach. & Romowicz, Richardiana 7: 54 (2007).
Descrlption:
Plant usually forming a tuft of pendent, flattened stems to 25 cm long, 5 mm in diameter, with numerous very fine roots up to 0.5 mm in diameter arising between the leaves from the lower parts. Leaves in two rows, glossy dark green, deciduous, elliptic-oblong, bilaterally compressed, obtuse in side view, with a wide groove on the upper surface extending to near the apex, 6.1–12.5 × 2.9–5 mm. Inflorescences borne opposite the leaves, appearing axillary, 1flowered; bracts elliptic, acute, 2–5 × 2–3.8 mm; pedicel and ovary 6.8–11.5 mm long. Flowers white, fleshy, 10.8–17 mm long. Dorsal sepal 3–5.2 × 1.3–2.5 mm, ovate or elliptic, 3- to 5-veined, adaxially concave, margins recurved in the distal half. Lateral sepals 3.5–6 × 1.5–2.9 mm, ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 3- to 5-veined, adaxially concave, margins recurved in the distal half. Petals 2.3–5 × 0.9–1.8 mm, ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 3- to 5-veined, adaxially concave, margins recurved in the distal half. Lip 2.7–4.5 × 2.7–5 mm, slightly 3-lobed, obovate, concave, apex apiculate, lateral lobes rounded, upright on either side of the column, median lobe longer, triangular, apex acute; spur 4.8–8 × 0.5 mm, straight, abruptly narrowed, apex acute. Column short, 0.7–1.7 × 0.4 mm. Pollinia 2, pyriform.
Habitat:
Angraecum distichum is found in a wide range of habitats, from humid evergreen to semi-deciduous forests. It has also been collected on roadside trees and in cocoa plantations, as well as in periodically inundated swampy gallery forests with tall trees and in undergrowth with Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae.
Phenology:
Flowering occurs throughout the year, particularly from July to October and in February and March.
Notes:
Limodorum imbricatum Swartz (1806: 87) was described 31 years before Angraecum distichum and the specific epithet would have nomenclatural priority except that the combination in Angraecum is already occupied by A. imbricatum Lindley (1862: 137). As the gynostemium of the type specimen of L. imbricatum is clearly that of an Angraecum, Schlechter (1918), in his synoptic revision of angraecoid orchids, made the combination A. imbricatum (Sw.) Schlechter (1918: 158), thereby creating a later homonym. However, in the same publication, Schlechter also made the new combination Calyptrochilum emarginatum (Sw.) Schlechter (1918: 84), placing Angraecum imbricatum Lindl. in synonymy, which clearly shows that he was aware of this name. Summerhayes (1958) appears to be the first to point out Schlechter's error, indicating that when this species is treated in Angraecum, the correct name is A. distichum. However, no type material was found for the name proposed by Swartz so we are unable to determine to which taxon this name is associated.
Cultivation:
Read more of cultivation of Angraecum distichum Lindl.
Distribution:
Angraecum distichum occurs throughout most of West Africa (Guinea-Conakry, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria), Central Africa (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé & Príncipe, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Angola) and in Uganda in East Africa (Govaerts et al. 2016). The species is newly reported in both West Africa (Senegal and Guinea-Bissau) and Central Africa (Burundi). Angraecum distichum is thus widely distributed in the Guineo-Congolian Region and also occurs in the Sudanian Region, the Lake Victoria Regional Mosaic, the Guineo-Congolia/Zambesia Transition Zone, and the Zambesian Region.
References:
Bechtel, H., P. Cribb, and E. Launert. 1980. Manual of cultivated orchid species. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. Hutchinson, J., and J. Dalziel, ed. 1968. Flora of west tropical Africa, vol. III. part 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Northen, R. 1980. Miniature orchids. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York. Pottinger, M. 1983. African orchids-a personal view. H. G. H. Publications, Berkshire, England. Pridgeon, A. ed. 1992. The illustrated encyclopedia of orchids. Timber Press, Portland, OR. Rolfe, R. 1898. Orchideae. In: Flora of tropical Africa. vol. VII, Hydrocharideae to Liliaceae. Edited by W. T. Thiselton-Dyer. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London; Lovell Reeve and Co., Covent Garden, London.
Photos/drawings:
Bechtel, H., P. Cribb, and E. Launert. 1980. Manual of cultivated orchid species. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. (Excellent Photo) Northen, R. 1980. Miniature orchids. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York. (Photo) Pridgeon, A. ed. 1992. The illustrated encyclopedia of orchids. Timber Press, Portland, OR. (Photo); A taxonomic revision of Angraecum section Dolabrifolia (Orchidaceae, Angraecinae), with the description of a new species from Gabon, Phytotaxa October 2016. WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 22.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
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In culture	In culture	In culture	In culture
Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.

In culture	In culture	In culture	In culture	In culture	In culture
Photograph© Lourens Grobler. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Lourens Grobler. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Lourens Grobler. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Lourens Grobler. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Lourens Grobler. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Lourens Grobler. Image used with kind permission.