Aerides

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Fox Brush Orchid
Aerides falcatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Higher Epidendroideae Tribe: Vandeae Subtribe: Sarcanthinae Alliance: Phalaenopsis Genus: Aerides Lour., 1790
Species
Aerides augustianum Aerides crassifolium Aerides crispum Aerides emericii Aerides falcatum Aerides flabellatum Aerides houlletianum Aerides inflexum Aerides × jansonii Aerides jarckianum Aerides krabiense Aerides lawrenciae Aerides leeanum Aerides macmorlandii Aerides maculosum Aerides multiflorum Aerides odoratum Aerides orthocentrum Aerides quinquevulnerum Aerides ringens Aerides roebelenii Aerides roseum Aerides savageanum Aerides shibatianum Aerides sukauensis Aerides thibautianum Aerides timoranum
Synonyms
Aeridium Salisb. Dendrorkis Thouars Orxera Raf.

Aerides or the Cat's-tail Orchid or the Fox Brush Orchid, is a genus belonging to the Orchid family (Orchidaceae) (subfamily Epidendroideae, tribe Vandeae, subtribe Sarcanthinae). This genus is abbreviated Aer in horticultural trade.

They occur mainly in Asia : the Indian subcontinent, Nepal, Southern China, SE Asia, the Philippines, New Guinea.

They form pendulous racemes with many fragrant, long-lasting, waxy flowers, in white, (rarely) yellow, purple or pink colors, with a forward facing spur, growing on stout many-leaved stems from the leaf axils.

The leaves grow distichously (in two vertical rows). The leaf margins are bilobed, while the apex is emarginate.

There are ligules. Morphologically, they are very similar to Vanda.

There are 25 monopodial epiphytic species in this genus, (with the exception of Aerides krabviensis, which is a lithophyte).