Angraecoid

A beautiful group of orchids spread across Madagascar, Central Africa, and coastal island chains like the Comoros. The common genera in the group are Angraecum, Aerangis, and Aerides. Many of the species associated with this group produce graceful, star-shaped white flowers with proportionally long nectaries. These nectaries provide food for the moths which are attracted to them by the sweet, often jasmine-like night fragrances of these orchids. The Angraecinae contains species both large and small. The famous Darwin's Orchid, Angraecum sesquipedale, a large, showy species, is best known for the relationship between its massive flowers and their co-evolved moth pollinator. A number of stunning species in the genus Aerangis are miniature or compact in size, such as Aerangis luteo-alba and Aerangis punctata. Temperature and light requirements for Angraecoids vary somewhat between species, but most tend to prefer intermediate to warm temperatures.