Angraecum, also known as comet orchid, is a genus of the family Orchidaceae native to tropical and South Africa, as well as Sri Lanka. It contains 223 species.
Taxonomy
It was described by Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent in 1804 with Angraecum eburneum as the type species.
Etymology
Despite the genus's distribution being largely confined to Africa and its offshore islands, the genus name is a latinization of the Indonesian and Malay word anggrek ("orchid"), itself ultimately from Javanese ꦲꦔ꧀ꦒꦿꦺꦏ꧀ (anggrék, "orchid").
Distribution
Tropical Africa and Madagascar contain the majority of the genus with one outlier found on Sri Lanka, and three species once thought to belong to the genus in Japan and the Philippines. But these orchids can also be found on the Comoros, the Seychelles, and the Mascarenes. They occur between sea level and in humid regions.
Ecology
Pollination
The most commonly known example of Angraecum pollination is the relationship of Angraecum sesquipedale, which is pollinated by the moth species Xanthopan morganii praedicta However, different modes of pollination are known to occur in Angraecum. Bird pollination has been reported to occur in Angraecum striatum, which is pollinated by the bird species Zosterops borbonicus Boddaert. Angraecum cadetii is pollinated by the cricket species Glomeremus orchidophilus. There have also been speculations regarding pollination of Angraecum cadetii Bosser and Angraecum bracteosum Balf. & S. Moore through the lizard species Phelsuma borbonica
Conservation
Many species of Angraecum orchid are considered to be at risk of extinction in the wild and are protected from international trade under CITES. The genus Angraecum is listed as one of the top conservation priorities by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Orchid Specialist Group. Many of the species, such as Angraecum sororium, are endemic to Madagascar and are threatened from over collecting, loss of hawkmoth pollinators, habitat fragmentation, and fire.
Horticulture
In horticulture the generic name is abbreviated as Angcm.