ORCHIDS OF AFRICA

Most of the African orchids can be found in Central and South Africa where they grow in tropical rain forests and in the Savanna.  Many orchids also grow in Madagascar, Mauritius and La Reunion. The best known epiphyte genera are Aerangis, Angraecum, Aeranthes, Cyrtorchis, Jumellea, Mystacidium, Rangaeris and Sobennikoffia. The terrestrial African orchids like Bonatea, Disa, Disperis, Cynorkis, Eulophia, Holotrix, Oeceoclades, Pterygodium, Satyrium and Stenoglottis are more widely distributed than the epiphytes.

The terrestrial species are not very popular in Europe: in nature they are threatened by extinction. This threat is mainly caused by slash and burn, and famines. The Wildlife Conservation Society reports that more than 2 million orchids are collected in Tansania and adjacent countries every year where they are transformed to a meat replacing food product.