A key to the genus Calyptrochilum Kraenzl.

1a. Inflorescence many-flowered, very dense, up to 5 cm. long, bracts closely imbricate, middle ones 4-7 mm. long; leaves 6-17 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm. broad; lip obscurely 3-lobed in front, side lobes broadly rounded, middle lobe much smaller, acute; sepals about 1 cm. long; lip including spur 2 cm. long. Calyptrochilum emarginatum
1b. Inflorescence usually 6-9-, sometimes up to 12-flowered, rather lax, up to 4 cm. long, bracts not imbricate, middle ones 2-4 mm. long, rhachis more or less zigzag; leaves 3-13 cm. long, 0•8-2•5 cm. broad; lip distinctly 3-lobed, lobes rounded, middle lobe much larger and longer than side lobes, emarginate; sepals 6-8 mm. long; lip including spur 1-8 cm. long. Calyptrochilum christyanum

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 24/02/2017

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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Calyptrochilum christyanum (Rchb.f.) Summerh. in J.Hutchinson & J.M.Dalziel, Fl. W. Trop. Afr. 2: 450 (1936).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum christyanum Rchb.f., Gard. Chron., n.s., 13: 806 (1880).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Angraecum schoellerianum Kraenzl. ex Schweinf., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2(2): 112 (1894).
Angraecum malangeanum Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 22: 26 (1895).
Angraecum moloneyi Rolfe in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 7: 145 (1897).
Angraecum mombasaense Rolfe in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 7: 145 (1897).
Angraecum ovalifolium De Wild., Not. Pl. Util. Congo 1: 161 (1903).
Angraecum pynaertii De Wild., Not. Pl. Util. Congo 1: 160 (1903).
Angraecum zigzag De Wild., Not. Pl. Util. Congo 1: 143 (1903).
Rhaphidorhynchus moloneyi (Rolfe) Finet, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 54(9): 41 (1907).
Angraecum marsupiocalcaratum Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 51: 397 (1914).
Calyptrochilum moloneyi (Rolfe) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 595 (1915).
Calyptrochilum mombasaense (Rolfe) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 595 (1915).
Calyptrochilum orientale Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 595 (1915).
Calyptrochilum schoellerianum (Kraenzl. ex Schweinf.) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53: 595 (1915).
Angraecum bokoyense De Wild., Bull. Jard. Bot. État 5: 182 (1916).
Calyptrochilum bokoyense (De Wild.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 84 (1918).
Calyptrochilum malangeanum (Kraenzl.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 84 (1918).
Calyptrochilum marsupiocalcaratum (Kraenzl.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 84 (1918).
Calyptrochilum ovalifolium (De Wild.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 85 (1918).
Calyptrochilum pynaertii (De Wild.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 85 (1918).
Calyptrochilum zigzag (De Wild.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 85 (1918).
Angraecum ivorense A.Chev., Explor. Bot. Afrique Occ. Franç. 1: 618 (1920).
Campylocentrum marcalianum Campacci, Bol. CAOB 58: 52 (2005).
Description:
Epiphytic, sometimes lithophytic herb. Stem woody, leafy, to about 50 cm long, pendent or standing out horizontally, mostly unbranched. Roots long, stout, c. 7 mm in diameter, arising at nodes. Leaves numerous, distichous, usually 6–8 × 1.5–2.5 cm, ligulate, but occasionally longer or narrower, unequally and obtusely 2-lobed at the apex, fleshy, olive-green. Inflorescences borne along underside of stem, 1.5–4 cm long, densely 6–9-flowered, the rhachis zigzag. Flowers white, yellowish in throat, turning apricot-coloured as they fade, often lemon-scented; spur greenish. Sepals and petals 5–10 × 2.5–4 mm, ovate or ovate-elliptic, the lateral sepals slightly oblique, the petals slightly shorter than the sepals. Lip 7–12 × 7–10 mm, 3-lobed near the base; side lobes rounded; mid-lobe 5–10 × 5–8 mm, oblong, emarginate, sometimes with a mucro in the sinus; spur 9–11 mm long, geniculate, wide-mouthed, constricted in the middle and globose at the apex. Column 1–2 mm long.
Habitat:
Epiphytic in riverine forest and woodland, occasionally lithophytic 500–1500 m.
Cultivation:
As given for the genus, warm to cool growing, monopodial epiphyte.
Distribution:
Brazil (SE. Bahia), Trop. Africa
References:
Orchids of East Africa Piers 1968; The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1985; Flora of Tropical East Africa Orchidaceae Part 2 Cribb 1984; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Orchids of Kenya Stewart 1996; African Orchids in the Wild and Cultivation La Croix 1997; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 2 Pope 1998; Field Guide to the Ethiopian Orchids Demissew, Cribb & Rasmussen 2004; Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans, Campbell 2006; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 24.02-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
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Habitat/In situ Habitat/In situ Habitat/In situ In culture In culture In culture
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Photograph©Bart Wursten. Image used with kind permission. Photograph©Bart Wursten. Image used with kind permission. Photograph©Bart Wursten. 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.