Angraecum striatum
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Angraecum striatum , illustration |
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| Angraecum striatum | ||||||||||||
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Angraecum striatum is an epiphytic orchid species endemic to Réunion .
features
Angraecum striatum has an upright, densely leafed stem that reaches a height of 30 cm. At the base of the stem are thick greyish roots with a diameter of 5 to 7 mm. The dark green, rigid, tongue-shaped leaves are 10 to 25 cm long and 4 to 5 cm wide. At the top they are unevenly bilobed. The leaf veins are pronounced. The leaves grow in two rows and overlap on the stem.
The upright inflorescence forms a one-sided cluster . It is a little shorter or exactly as long as the leaves and has several flowers that are widely spaced . The showy bracts are shorter than the ovary .
There are five to seven fleshy white flowers that are 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter. The pointed lanceolate sepals are slightly wider at the base than the petals . The fleshy lip is arched. The cone-shaped spur is 1 cm long. The stylus column is green.
The flowering period is in June, July, August and October.
habitat
Angraecum striatum occurs in the highland forests of Réunion at altitudes between 1000 and 1500 m.
pollination
The pollinator of this orchid species was unknown for a long time, as there are only a few flower-pollinating insects on Réunion . In a long-term study, the two biologists Claire Micheneau and Thierry Pailler from the University of La Réunion found out in 2005 that the mascarene spectacled bird ( Zosterops borbonicus ) drinks the nectar with its long conical beak and thus functions as a pollinator.
literature
- Joyce Stewart , Johan Hermans & Bob Ian Martin Campbell: Angraecoid Orchids: Species from the African Region . Timber Press, 2006. ISBN 0881927880
- Claire Micheneau, Jacques Fournel & Thierry Pailler: Bird Pollination in an Angraecoid Orchid on Reunion Island (Mascarene Archipelago, Indian Ocean) . Annals of Botany 97: pp. 965-974, 2006 doi : 10.1093 / aob / mcl056 PDF online
Web links
- Pictures of Angraecum striatum on angraecum.org