African Orchid - can anyone name it ?

[WhiteRabbit]

Cool! How exciting!

[sweetjblue]

Is it possible that it could be aerangis citrata? The spike looks very similar to the one I have, only my plant isn't nearly as big or old as yours.

800x_600_aerangis_citrata - Orchid Board Galleries

[SOS]

Ok, I think after many weeks of having this on my mind I have narrowed down at least the genus.

I give you:

Calyptrochilum!

[nenella]

Originally Posted by SOS

Ok, I think after many weeks of having this on my mind I have narrowed down at least the genus.

I give you:

Calyptrochilum!

Wow! good work! I think you may be right the plants looks very very similar...
And says found in Tanzania/kenya which is where my got it 30 yrs ago..
I've searched & I have only found : Calyptrochilum emarginatum & Calyptrochilum chrystianum
- My spikes don't look like the spikes shown for these... still waiting to see the actual flowers & getting a decent photo...
thanks again!

[lambelkip]

I don't think Calyptrochilum blooms from the same node like that, and the spikes look wrong. If I had to guess, I'd say it's Angraecum obversifolium.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

???

I thought you said the flowers were "...yellow and looked like flowers from the Doum Palm (Hyphaene thebaica)"...

The flowers on Calyptrochilum christyanum are off-white, aka dirty white, aka white with a yellow tinge.

Same goes for Calyptrochilum emarginatum.

Calyptrochilum christyanum:

http://www.orchidspecies.com/calysp.htm

Calyptrochilum emarginatum:

http://www.orchidspecies.com/calyptremarginatum.htm

The inflorescences on your plant are already looking too long for Calyptrochilum.

I'm still sticking with the possibility that it's a Tridactyle sp. until further developments are posted.

While I'm not saying that the possibility is specifically Tridactyle bicaudata, this is an example of what a Tridactyle species would look like:

Tridactyle bicaudata:

http://www.sciag.ukzn.ac.za/bcs/imag...0bicaudata.JPG

http://www.vumba-nature.com/Tridacty...ata-01-web.jpg

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...I6LeswO8x4jpDA

I feel that Tridactyle is a much more plausible possibility than Calyptrochilum. Tridactyle spp. while rare in the trade, do appear relatively more frequently than something like Calyptrochilum spp.

Your plant I can definitely say is an Angraecoid.

[nenella]

Merci Philip!
Yes my mum did say they look like doum flowers....
I ahve never seen them as I only go home at xmas so have always missed out on the flowering.
I have posted this link to her to see what she thinks - she's away on safari at the moment.
merci beaucoup for your input, research & links!

[nenella]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

???

I thought you said the flowers were "...yellow and looked like flowers from the Doum Palm (Hyphaene thebaica)"...

The flowers on Calyptrochilum christyanum are off-white, aka dirty white, aka white with a yellow tinge.

Same goes for Calyptrochilum emarginatum.

Calyptrochilum christyanum:

IOSPE PHOTOS

Calyptrochilum emarginatum:
p://www.orchidspecies.com/calyptremarginatum.htm

The inflorescences on your plant are already looking too long for Calyptrochilum.

I'm still sticking with the possibility that it's a Tridactyle sp. until further developments are posted.

While I'm not saying that the possibility is specifically Tridactyle bicaudata, this is an example of what a Tridactyle species would look like:

Tridactyle bicaudata:

http://www.sciag.ukzn.ac.za/bcs/imag...0bicaudata.JPG

http://www.vumba-nature.com/Tridacty...ata-01-web.jpg

Google Image Result for http://www.plantzafrica.com/planttuv/plimagestuv/tridactbicaud.jpg

I feel that Tridactyle is a much more plausible possibility than Calyptrochilum. Tridactyle spp. while rare in the trade, do appear relatively more frequently than something like Calyptrochilum spp.

Your plant I can definitely say is an Angraecoid.

As an Update : Philip, here's what the buds look like at the moment... they defintely have the 'shape' of a 'vandacious species' resemble my Asco.Miniatum 'buds' which are opening at the moment............. that's the closest I can describe as a hobbeist...& not an expert...........
hope this will help the 'experts' to name this when it does finally flower...
I intend to find someone with the right equipment to photograph the flower once it flowers if I don't manage to get a good shot! It should not be too many weeks away....
thanks for every ones input on this dilemma!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

It's Vandaceous, but more specifically, it's Angraecoid.

The spurs are giving that away.

I still think it's a Tridactyle sp. of some sort. It's starting to look a lot like it. In a month, we'll know for certain.

[SOS]

Well, I retract the Calyptrochilum comment, that is definitely not what their spikes look like.