Aerangidinae is classified as a subtribe within the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

Vandeae The Vandeae is a large monophyletic tribe within the family of orchids. Scope This tribe contains 1,700 - 2,000 species in more than 150 genera. Epiphytic These orchids are pantropical epiphytes and occur in tropical Asia, the Pacific Islands, ...

in the family

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

. However, it is likely to soon become a synonym of Angraecinae with the genera below re-allocated to this sub-tribe. As traditionally circumscribed, it consists of 36 genera and about 300 species. The

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...

of this subtribe is ''

Aerangis ''Aerangis'', abbreviated as Aergs in horticultural trade, is a genus of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). The name of this genus has been derived from the Greek words 'aer' (air) and 'angos' (urn), referring to the form of the lip. It is the type ...

''. Members of this group are

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

orchids having a

monopodial Vascular plants with monopodial growth habits grow upward from a single point. They add leaves to the apex each year and the stem grows longer accordingly. The word ''Monopodial'' is derived from Greek "mono-", ''one'' and "podial", "foot", in refe ...

habit and are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to tropical

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. They are distinguished from the other subtribes in Vandeae by having an elongate

rostellum The rostellum is a projecting part of the column in Orchidaceae flowers, and separates the male androecium from the female gynoecium, commonly preventing self-fertilisation. In many orchids, such as ''Orchis mascula'', the pollinia or pollen masse ...

, an elongate

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to back ...

, and two

pollinia A pollinium (plural pollinia) is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant that are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of mil ...

. Most genera in the group indicate pollination by moths, however leaf beetles (family

Chrysomelidae The insects of the beetle family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles, and include over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making up one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle ...

) are reported as frequent visitors, but it is unknown whether they are vectors for pollination.

Genera

Genera in this subtribe are listed below: *''

'' *'' Ancistrorhynchus'' *''

Angraecopsis ''Angraecopsis'' is a genus of plants in the family Orchidaceae. It was first described by Fritz Kraenzlin in 1900 and given its name on account with the genus' similarity to ''Angraecum'' species. ''Angraecopsis'' are native to Africa, Madagasca ...

'' *'' Azadehdelia'' *'' Beclardia'' *'' Bolusiella'' *'' Cardiochilos'' *'' Chamaeangis'' *'' Chauliodon'' *'' Cyrtorchis'' *'' Diaphananthe'' *'' Dinklageella'' *'' Distylodon'' *'' Eggelingia'' *'' Encheiridion'' *'' Erasanthe''Cribb PJ, Hermans J & Roberts D L
Erasanthe (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae, Vandeae, Aerangidinae), a new endemic orchid genus from Madagascar
. Adansonia 2007; 29(1): 27-30. *'' Eurychone'' *'' Holmesia'' *'' Listrostachys'' *'' Margelliantha'' *''

Microcoelia ''Microcoelia'' is a genus of orchids native to sub-Saharan Africa as well as to Madagascar and other islands of the Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water ...

'' *'' Microterangis'' *''

Mystacidium ''Mystacidium'', abbreviated as Mycdm in horticultural trade, is a genus of the orchid family (''Orchidaceae''). It is native to eastern and southern Africa from Tanzania to South Africa. Species accepted as of June 2014: # ''Mystacidium alicia ...

'' *'' Nephrangis'' *'' Plectrelminthus'' *'' Podangis'' *''

Rangaeris ''Rangaeris'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae, naive to sub-Saharan Africa. Species Species accepted as of June 2014: # '' Rangaeris amaniensis'' (Kraenzl.) Summerh., 1949 - Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Ugan ...

'' *'' Rhaesteria'' *''

Rhipidoglossum ''Rhipidoglossum'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains about 20-30 species, all from sub-Saharan Africa. Species This genus contains the following species: *'' Rhipidoglossum arbonnieri'' - Grows in ...

'' *'' Sarcorhynchus'' *'' Solenangis'' *'' Sphyrarhynchus'' *'' Summerhayesia'' *'' Taeniorrhiza'' *'' Triceratorhynchus'' *'' Tridactyle'' *'' Ypsilopus''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4687947 Orchid subtribes