Aeranthes antennophora H.Perrier, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 7: 45 (1938).
Description:
Plants acaulis, leaves 6-7 widely lingulate (30 - 40 x 2-35 cm.), bilobed apically and with the lobes obtuse and heavily unequal. lnflorescence thin pendent, simple or few branched, very loosely several flowered: sheaths shorter than the internodes bracts generally 5 mm, 3 - 4 times shorter than the pedicel; flowers large of a pure greenish. Sepals very long (9 - 12 cm.), acuminate in a long 7-8 cm.) filiform point, the median with an inferior oval-oblong (15 x 10 mm.) lamina, the laterals very dilate in front, above the base and forming a wide obtuse lobe in which the veins of the base are obviously curved. Petals similar to the median sepal, but smaller (45 x 8 mm, including the acumin). Labellum widely oval 2 cm wide. Deeply cordate basally acuminate in a filiform very short (15 - 18 mm.) point apically; spur cylindrical or slightly compressed. l3 - l5 mm long. Foot 1 cm. long. Column thick, 5 mm. tall; auricles widely deltoid acute incurved in front. Pedicel 15 - 20 mm. long.
Habitat:
From mossy forests, epiphytes of trunks: 1000 m. alt.; flowering in February
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Distribution:
C. Madagascar Endemic.
References:
An Introduction to the Cultivated Angraecoid Orchids of Madagascar Hillerman & Holst 1986; Flora of Madagascar Perrier 1981; Angraecoid Orchids Stewart, Hermans, Campbell 2006; Orchids of Madagascar Hermans 2007; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009; WCSP (2017). 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 21.01-2017; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Images:
Click on each image to see a larger version.
| Habitat/ In situ |
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| Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission. |
