Aerangis kirkii (Rchb. f.) Schltr. - syn.Angraecum bilobum var. kirkii Rchb. f. - Orchidaceae 

Rare endangered shade-loving epiphytic African orchid, native to the coastal forests of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique; flowers white, scentless during the day, pleasant white-floral scented in the twilight and night.

{{aerangislactone.png|aerangis lactone}} aerangis lactone

The "... pleasant white-floral flower scent is characterized by aspects reminescent of tuberose and gardenia. For the latter aspects, cis-4-methyldecano-5-lactone is responsible." \\
The headspace contained 26.2% of (4S,5S)-4-methyldecano-5-lactone (named 'aerangis lactone', a 4-methyl dihydro jasmine lactone also present in Aerangis confusa flower scent), and [[http://gakui.dl.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/data/h20/124672/124672a.pdf|methyl (S)-3-methyloctanoate]] (flowery, 1.9%) as olfactory important principles. Other (main) constituents were germacrene D (33.0%), benzyl acetate (17.3%), phenylethyl acetate (4.7%), and p-methylanisole (2.8%). \\
[Scent of a vanishing flora, Roman Kaiser, 2011, 253-255 and 304-305]  

{{:aerangis_kirkii.jpg?600}} \\
Aerangis biloba (Lindl.) Schltr. var. kirkii as Angraecum bilobum Lindl. var. kirkii \\
Warner, R., Williams, B.S., The orchid album, vol. 1885: t. 162 (1885) [J.N. Fitch] \\
[[http://botanicalillustrations.org/species.php?id_species=24638]]