''Aerangis'', abbreviated as Aergs in horticultural trade, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of the

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 flowerin ...

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 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 ...

of the subtribe Aerangidinae, which has recently been subsumed in the subtribe Angraecinae. Approximately 50 species in this genus are known mostly from 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 ...

, but also from the

Comoro Islands The Comoro Islands or Comoros (Shikomori ''Komori''; ar, جزر القمر , ''Juzur al-qamar''; french: Les Comores) form an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and northwes ...

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 ...

and Sri Lanka.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> Species are usually

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 ...

, sometimes lithophytic small orchids, resembling ''

Vanda ''Vanda'', abbreviated in the horticultural trade as ''V.,'' is a genus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. There are about 87 species, and the genus is commonly cultivated for the marketplace. This genus and its allies are considered to be among ...

''s in appearance. Their large, waxy, star-shaped flowers are generally white, cream-colored or yellow. They show a long, nectar-filled spur, often longer than the flower itself. There is a single stem with many flowers on a long raceme. The

lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

is flat and resembles the petals and

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s. They give off an agreeable smell during the night. There are six to ten parallel-veined, fleshy, evergreen leaves. These orchids are not often found in collections, even though they are rather easy to grow. Around 15 species are commonly available. Also ''Aerangis descendants from intergeneric hybridization have been registered: * '' ×Aerangaeris'' (''Aerangis'' × ''

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 ...

'') * '' ×Amesangis'' (''Aerangis'' × '' Amesiella'') * '' ×Angrangis'' (''Aerangis'' × ''

Angraecum The genus ''Angraecum'', abbreviated as Angcm in horticultural trade, common name comet orchid, contains about 220 species. Etymology Despite the genus's distribution being largely confined to Africa and its offshore islands, the genus name is a ...

'') * '' ×Diaphanangis'' (''Aerangis'' × '' Diaphananthe'') * '' ×Euryangis'' (''Aerangis'' × '' Eurychone'') * '' ×Summerangis'' (''Aerangis'' × '' Summerhayesia'') * '' ×Thesaera'' (''Aerangis'' × '' Aeranthes'')

References

* (1865) Flora 48: 190. * (Eds) (2014) Genera Orchidacearum Volume 6: Epidendroideae (Part 3); page 344 ff., Oxford: Oxford University Press.

External links

* *
''Aerangis citrata''Orchidées Nature Producteur d'Orchidées, ''Aerangis''Société Belge d'Orchidophilie, les Aerangis
{{Taxonbar, from=Q20810 Vandeae genera Epiphytic orchids Flora of Africa Flora of the Comoros Flora of Sri Lanka Flora of Madagascar