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Anguloa

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Anguloa
Anguloa clowesii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Cymbidieae
Subtribe: Maxillariinae
Genus: Anguloa
Ruíz & Pav.
Type species
Anguloa uniflora
Ruíz & Pav.
Species

See text

Anguloa, commonly known as tulip orchids, is a small orchid genus closely related to Lycaste. Its abbreviation in horticulture is Ang. This genus was described by José Antonio Pavón and Hipólito Ruiz López in 1798. They named it in honor of Francisco de Angulo, Director-General of Mines of Spain.[1]

This genus is found on the forest floor at high elevations from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.[2][3][4] Anguloa is closely related to Lycaste and Ida, and can hybridize with Lycaste.[5]

Description

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A horticultural hybrid Anguloa with green flowers

Tulip orchids are rather large terrestrial and sometimes epiphytic plants with fleshy pseudobulbs longer than 20 cm. The long, lanceolate and plicate leaves of a full-grown Anguloa can be more than 1 m long. Two to four leaves grow from the base of each pseudobulb. The leaves are deciduous, and are shed at the start of each new growth.[citation needed]

The flowers of these orchids have a strong scent of cinnamon. They are of waxy appearance and are (in wild species) either of two colors, depending on the species – greenish white, or yellow to red. A single flower per inflorescence arises from the base of each new pseudobulb. The white tulip orchids have six inflorescences per pseudobulb, the other can produce up to twelve inflorescences. The sepals have a bulbous shape, resembling a tulip; hence the common name. The lip is three-lobed. The column has four pollinia.[citation needed]

Pollination

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When touched, the lip of the flower rocks back and forth inside the cup-shaped flower as if the lip was a child in a cradle. As a result, it is sometimes known as a cradle orchid. Similarly, it has been known in Columbia as cuna de Venus (cradle of Venus). When an orchid bee pollinator lands on the opening of the flower, its weight tips the flower forwards, and the lip moves down to allow the bee inside the flower. Having moved into the flower, the change in the centre of gravity tips the flower back, flipping the lip upwards, pressing the bee against the rostellum and sticky pollinia. On a return visit, the same maneuver presses the pollinia into the flower's stigma.[5]

Species

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The genus is split into two sections. Section Guoloanga includes the yellow and red anguloas such as A. clowesii, A. hohenlohii, A. brevilabris, A. dubia, while section Euanguloa includes the white anguloas such as A. uniflora, A. eburnea, A. virginalis, and A. tognettiae.[5]

There are 13 species of tulip orchids, including 4 apparently of hybrid origin though established in the wild. Other hybrid tulip orchids are bred by horticulturalists, but do not occur in the wild. The following are currently accepted as of May 2014:[2]

Image Name Described by Distribution
Anguloa × acostae (A. eburnea × A. hohenlohii) Oakeley Colombia
Anguloa brevilabris Rolfe Colombia, Peru
Anguloa cliftonii J.G.Fowler Colombia
Anguloa cliftonii var. alba Oakeley Colombia
Anguloa cliftonii var. concolor Oakeley Colombia
Anguloa clowesii Lindl. Venezuela and Colombia
Anguloa clowesii var. flava A.DC Venezuela and Colombia
Anguloa dubia Rchb.f. Colombia and possibly Venezuela
Anguloa eburnea Linden ex B.S.Williams Colombia, Peru, Ecuador
Anguloa hohenlohii C.Morren Venezuela and Colombia
Anguloa hohenlohii var. macroglossa (Schltr.) Oakeley Colombia
Anguloa × rolfei (A. brevilabris × A. cliftonii) Sander ex Rolfe Colombia
Anguloa × ruckeri (A. clowesii × A. hohenlohii) Lindl. Colombia, Venezuela, Peru
Anguloa × speciosa (A. tognettiae × A. virginalis) Linden Venezuela, Colombia
Anguloa tognettiae Oakeley Venezuela and Colombia
Anguloa uniflora Ruiz & Pav. Peru
Anguloa virginalis Linden ex B.S.Williams Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
Anguloa virginalis var. turneri (B.S.Williams) Oakeley Colombia

References

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  1. ^ Angulo, Francisco. DB~e. La Real Academia de la Historia. [1]
  2. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. ^ Oakeley, Henry F. (1999) Anguloa: The species, the hybrids and a checklist of Angulocastes. Orchid Digest 63(4: Supplement) 1–32. Online version
  4. ^ Dr. Henry F. Oakeley, 2008 : Lycaste, Ida and Anguloa: The Essential Guide
  5. ^ a b c Oakeley, Henry (2005). "522. ANGULOA TOGNETTIAE: Orchidaceae". Curtis's Botanical Magazine. 22 (1): 63–70. ISSN 1355-4905.
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