Calyptrochilum emarginatum (Afzel. ex Sw.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 84 (1918).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Limodorum emarginatum Afzel. ex Sw., Neues J. Bot. 1: 86 (1805).
Angraecum emarginatum (Afzel. ex Sw.) Roberty, Fl. Ouest-Afr.: 255 (1954).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum imbricatum Lindl., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 6: 137 (1862).
Epidorkis imbricata (Lindl.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 660 (1891).
Calyptrochilum preussii Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 22: 30 (1895).
Calyptrochilum imbricatum (Lindl.) Schltr., Orchideen: 602 (1914).
Description:
An epiphyte with long, hanging stems. The inflorescences are short, 3- 5 cm long, they appear above the leaves and are densely many-flowered. The flowers are very fragrant, especially at night. Leaves: Linear lanceolate, hanging, slightly arching, very distinctly, and unequally bilobed at apex, 100-170 mm long,30-50 mm wide, thick and leathery. Bracts closely overlapping,4-7 mm long, dark brown. Sepals: Broadly lanceolate-acute, 10 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, white. Petals: Broadly oblanceolate-acute, l0 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, white. Lip: Indistinctly trilobed in apical part, l0 mm long. Middle lobe short, pointed, side lobes rounded, overlapping. Whole lip laterally compressed, boat-shaped, yellow. Spur: Much bent, slightly swollen at apex, 10 mm long.
Habitat:
On trunks of trees in villages. Rare in the primary forest.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, hot to warm growing epiphyte.
Notes:
This species can grow to several meters length. This plant might be confused with the closely related Calyptrochilum christyanum, which, however, has a zigzag rachis.
Distribution:
W. Trop. Africa to Angola
References:
Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1985; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Orchids of Kenya Stewart 199; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 24.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
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