Angraecum borbonicum

Names and Taxonomy

The accepted scientific name is Angraecum borbonicum Bosser, 1988.^[1][2] The name is listed as accepted by Kew’s Plants of the World Online.^[2] A synonym recorded in the Mascarene flora database is Angraecum triquetrum auct. non Thouars.^[7] The French common name recorded is “Angrec de Bourbon.”^[7]

How to Identify This Species

In the wild A. borbonicum is an epiphytic subshrub. Stems are short, typically 15–50 mm long, often covered with old leaf sheaths.^[5] Leaves are rigid, coriaceous, dark‑green, linear‑oblong, usually 40–120 mm long and 7–15 mm wide, arranged alternately along the stem, and may be slightly V‑shaped at the apex.^[5] The plant bears one to two single‑flowered inflorescences. Flowers are white, solitary, and lack a prominent spur in the excerpted description. The anther cap is about 1.5 mm in diameter and the pollinia are ovoid, 1.2 mm long, positioned in direct contact with the stigma, indicating autogamy.^[5] Fruit capsules are triquetrous, persistent, and measure roughly 40–50 mm long.^[5] Because the species is often confused with the closely related Angraecum liliodorum, note that A. borbonicum has a shorter fruit pedicel and finely verrucose floral bracts, distinguishing it from that taxon.^[6]

Native Range and Habitat

The species is endemic to the island of Réunion, occurring throughout the island but most commonly in the wet tropical biome of the Mascarene Islands.^[1][2][4] It inhabits moist mid‑elevation forests, typically between 400 and 1 500 m altitude, with many records around 1 200–1 400 m.^[5][7] It is usually epiphytic on members of the Ericaceae (e.g., Erica spp.) and on Agarista, and occasionally found on the trunks of Acacia heterophylla in forest “type ‘avoune’.”^[5] The habitat is characterized by high humidity and frequent cloud cover, typical of Réunion’s windward (wet) side.

Species-Specific Care

Scroll to explore the table →

Specific horticultural recommendations for Angraecum borbonicum have not been published in the available scientific or cultivation literature. Growers should therefore treat it as a typical humid‑forest epiphyte, providing conditions similar to other Angraecum species, while recognizing that detailed needs remain unverified.

Flowering and Pollination

Flowering has been recorded throughout the year in observations from Réunion, suggesting a long or continuous blooming period.^[6]

The flowers are self‑compatible; the pollinia are in direct contact with the stigma, and the species is described as autogamous (self‑pollinating).^[5] No specific pollinator has been documented, and the plant’s reproductive strategy appears to rely on self‑pollination rather than insect vectors.

Conservation and Responsible Cultivation

Predictive modelling of extinction risk (Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1) classifies Angraecum borbonicum as “threatened” with a confident assessment.^[3] No formal IUCN Red List assessment is currently available. Conservation of its native forest habitat on Réunion is therefore critical.

Evidence and Limitations

The profile relies on a limited set of published sources. Detailed horticultural data, precise temperature and humidity ranges, and formal conservation assessments are absent. Further field studies and cultivation trials are needed to refine care recommendations and to confirm the species’ conservation status.