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Angraecum calceolus |
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Kingdom
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Plantae
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Division
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Magnoliophyta
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Class
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Liliopsida
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Order
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Asparagales
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Family
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Orchidaceae
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Subfamily
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Epidendroideae
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Tribe
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Vandaeae
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Subtribe
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Angraecinae
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Alliance
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Angraecum
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Genus
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Angraecum
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Genus Abreviation
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Angcm
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Common Name
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The Small Shoe Angraecum
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Section
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Gomphocentrum [Bentham] Garay
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Species
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Angraecum calceolus
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Authority
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Thouars
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Source
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Hist. Orchid. [Fl. Iles Austr. Afr.]: t. 77 (1822).
H. Perrier in Fl. Madag., fam. 49, Orchidées 2: 252 (1941).
Type from Mascarene Islands.
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Synonyms
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Aeranthes calceolus (Thou.)
S. Moore 1877 in Baker, Fl. Mauritius & Seychelles:
353 (1877)
Aeranthus calceolus (Thou.)
S.Moore;
Aerobion calceolus (Thou.)
Spreng. 1826;
Angraecum anocentrum Schltr.
1898
in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 26: 342 (1899). Type: Mozambique. Massinga,
R. Schlechter s.n. (B?)
Angraecum carpophorum Thou.
1822
Angraecum paniculatum Frapp.
ex Cordem.
1895;
Angraecum patens Frapp.
ex Cordem. 1895;
Angraecum rhopaloceras Schltr.
1925
in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 33: 338 (1925). Type
from Madagascar.
Epidorchis calceolus (Thou.)
Kuntze
1891
Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 660 (1891)
Epidorchis carpophora (Thou.)
O.Ktze
1891;
Macroplectrum calceolus (Thou.)
Finet
1907, in Mém. Soc. Bot. France, No. 9: 31 (1907)
Mystacidium calceolus (Thou.)
Cordem.
Fl. Réunion: 220 (1895)
Mystacidium carpophorum (Thou.)
Cordem.
1895
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Etymology
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lat. calceolus = small shoe
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Distribution
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Mozambique
GI: Inhambane Distr., near Massinga, 30 m, fl. ii.1898,
Schlechter s.n. (B?). Type of A. anocentrum.
MS: Amatongas forest, near Dondo, 60 m, fl. 1.iv.1961, Ball
899 (K; SRGH).
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Range
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Comoro Islands; Madagascar; Mascarene Islands; Seychelles
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Habitat
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Forest near coast
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Altitude
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30-600 meters
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Life Form
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Epiphytic chamaephyte, Lithophyte
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Flowers
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2 cm (4/5 in.)
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Flowering time
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Dec-Jan
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Fragrance
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Yes
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 Top
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Description
Erect epiphytic herb with a woody stem to c. 9 cm long.Roots
numerous, c. 1.5 mm in diameter.Leaves up to 16, 17-22 × 1.5-2.5
cm, ligulate, narrowing to a petiole-like base, and very unequally
2-lobed at the apex with one lobe almost absent, the other c.
6 mm long and obtuse.Young leaf sheaths sometimes with dark spots.Inflorescences
15-24 cm long, up to 5-branched, each branch several-flowered.Flowers
pale yellow-green, thin-textured.Pedicel and ovary 5-6 mm long;
bracts c. 2 mm long.Dorsal sepal 7-8 × 2-4 mm, ovate-lanceolate,
acute or acuminate; lateral sepals c. 8 × 1.5 mm, lanceolate,
acuminate, rather oblique.Petals 6 × 1.5-3 mm, lanceolate, acuminate.Lip
c. 7 × 3 mm, including an acumen 2 mm long, very concave, ovate,
acuminate; spur 12 mm long, slender, slightly swollen near apex,
often ascending.Column very short.
A small sized, epipytic or lithophytic, warm to hot growing
orchid found in coastal forests in shady, humid forests usually
the base of shrubs and trees at elevations of 30 to to 2000 meters
with very short stem carrying 3 to 10, narrowly lanceolate or
ligulate, broad, distichous leaves that blooms in the summer on
a racemose to paniculate, 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12") long inflorescence
with, laxly few to several (4 to 6) flowers and all shorter than
the leaves that is found in Mozambique, Madagascar as well as
the Indian Ocean Islands Of Comoros, Reunion, Mauritius, the Mascarenes
and the Seychelles. This is one of two species that is found in
Africa as well as the Indian Ocean Islands and is unusual in that,
with older specimens, it is possible to have a branched inflorescence.
Angraecum calceolus is a miniature plant, generally not exceeding
25-30 cm (10-12 in.) across or less. This is a plant that
will nearly grow and bloom itself. The blooms are usually green
though at times shading to white. The plant is well known for
self seeding, with seed pods maturing in 6-7 months. The blooms
are borne on spikes of about a foot long. There are usually multiple
spikes and multiple bloom seasons during the year.
Observations
On Mauritius in Les
Mares Nature Reserve
Culture
One can grow Angraecum calceolus in a fairly fine mix, usually fine
fir bark. The plant has no moisture storage system and should not
be allowed to get overly dry. Prefer to keep them just barely moist
at all times. Temps should be intermediate, 16-30° C (60-85
F), the light should be very bright shade to medium indirect. Cool
temps may mar the leaves, a sign of a minor fungal infection. Keeping
the air circulation up will help prevent this, but keeping the temps
above 18° at night are your best defense. |
