''Angraecum conchiferum'' is a species of
orchid
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 ...
found in Knysna and Tsitsikamma forests.
This rather rare and attractive species has the distinction of having the largest flowers of the South African monopodial epiphytic orchids. It normally forms untidy clumps of long, thin, pendulous sterns which carry small dark-green, linear leaves spaced along the stems in two ranks. The solitary white flower have a distinct shell-like lip and a long spur. Flowers appear from September to November.
The stems are up to long and in diameter and are covered with minute superficial protuberances which usually blacken with age. The white roots in diameter are covered with small wart-like glands. Up to twelve leaves are produced long and broad. One to two thin upright inflorescences long carry one, rarely two, flowers across. The shell-shaped lip is across and the spur is long.
Occurs in deep shade in cool moist temperate forests usually as a high-level epiphyte on large trees though sometimes it occurs on small trees near the fringe of forests.
The name "conchiferum" is derived from Latin meaning "shell-bearing" which refers to the lip.
conchiferum
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