Aerangidinae is classified as a subtribe within the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

Vandeae in the family

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family (biology), family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan plants that ...

. However, it is likely to soon become a synonym of Angraecinae with the genera below re-allocated to this sub-tribe. As traditionally circumscribed, it consists of 36 genera and about 300 species. The

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...

of this subtribe is '' Aerangis''. Members of this group are

epiphytic An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

orchids having a

monopodial Vascular plants with monopodial growth habits grow upward from a single point. They add leaves to the apex each year and the stem grows longer accordingly. The word ''Monopodial'' is derived from Greek language, Greek '', ''one'' and '', "foot", in ...

habit and are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to tropical

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. They are distinguished from the other subtribes in Vandeae by having an elongate

rostellum The rostellum is a projecting part of the column in Orchidaceae flowers, and separates the male androecium from the female gynoecium, commonly preventing self-fertilisation. In many orchids, such as '' Orchis mascula'', the pollinia or pollen m ...

, an elongate

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...

, and two

pollinia A pollinium (: pollinia) is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant that are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of milkwee ...

. Most genera in the group indicate pollination by moths, however leaf beetles (family

Chrysomelidae The beetle family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as leaf beetles, includes over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making it one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous s ...

) are reported as frequent visitors, but it is unknown whether they are vectors for pollination.

Genera

Genera in this subtribe are listed below: *'' Aerangis'' *''

Ancistrorhynchus ''Ancistrorhynchus'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family Orchidaceae. It contains 16 species native to tropical Africa. Species #''Ancistrorhynchus akeassiae'' Pérez-Vera - Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Liberia #''Ancistrorhynchus br ...

'' *'' Angraecopsis'' *''

Azadehdelia ''Rhipidoglossum'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 53 species, all from sub-Saharan Africa. Species This genus contains the following species: *''Rhipidoglossum adoxum'' *''Rhipidoglossum afrum ...

'' *'' Beclardia'' *'' Bolusiella'' *'' Cardiochilos'' *'' Chamaeangis'' *'' Chauliodon'' *'' Cyrtorchis'' *'' Diaphananthe'' *'' Dinklageella'' *'' Distylodon'' *'' Eggelingia'' *'' Encheiridion'' *'' Erasanthe''Cribb PJ, Hermans J & Roberts D L
Erasanthe (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae, Vandeae, Aerangidinae), a new endemic orchid genus from Madagascar
. Adansonia 2007; 29(1): 27-30. *'' Eurychone'' *'' Holmesia'' *'' Listrostachys'' *'' Margelliantha'' *'' Microcoelia'' *'' Microterangis'' *'' Mystacidium'' *'' Nephrangis'' *'' Plectrelminthus'' *'' Podangis'' *'' Rangaeris'' *'' Rhaesteria'' *'' Rhipidoglossum'' *'' Sarcorhynchus'' *'' Solenangis'' *'' Sphyrarhynchus'' *'' Summerhayesia'' *'' Taeniorrhiza'' *'' Triceratorhynchus'' *'' Tridactyle'' *'' Ypsilopus''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4687947 Orchid subtribes