Ypsilopus amaniensis (Kraenzl.) D'haijère & Stévart syn. Rangaeris amaniensis (Kraenzl.) Summerh. - Orchidaceae
Epiphytic subshrub of the seasonally dry tropical biome, native to South Ethiopia, Keny, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe; flowers white, spurs up to 15cm long.
The flowers emit a very pleasant, characeristic 'white-floral' scent resembling a combination of Stephanotis, lily of the valley, and lily, with methyl salicylate (headspace: 5.8%), phenylethanol (8.5%), methyl cinnamate (20.1%), farnesol (27.9%) and linalool (2.4%). Other components were e.g. benzaldehyde (6.5%), methyl benzoate (2.4%), geraniol (3.6%), methyl anthranilate (1.0%), indole (3.0%), and vanillin (trace).
[The scent of orchids: olfactory and chemical investigations., Kaiser, R., Elsevier Science Publishers BV., 1993, 138-139 and 243]
 methyl salicylate |  2-phenylethanol |  methyl cinnamate |  (E,E)-farnesol |  linalool |
„Aerangis brachycarpa produced a strong, sweet peppery scent, the scent of A. confusa is distinctly jasmine-like, and A. thomsonii produces a sweet vanilla-like scent. Rangaeris amaniensis has a milder, lemon-like sweet scent.“
[Martins, Dino J., and Steven D. Johnson. „Hawkmoth pollination of aerangoid orchids in Kenya, with special reference to nectar sugar concentration gradients in the floral spurs.“ American Journal of Botany 94.4 (2007): 650-659] PDF
Ypsilopus amaniensis, Meru, Tanzania © Donyo Gabriel (2024) CC BY-SA 4.0 inaturalist.org