Disa rhodantha Schltr. 1895 SUBGENUS Micranthae
Inflorescence in situ in South Africa Photos by © Lourens Grobler
LATE
THROUGH EARLY
Common Name The Red Flowered Disa
Flower Size .8" [2 cm]
Found in Zimbabwe, Natal and Transvaal South Africa in montane grasslands at eleavtions of 1500 to 2000 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with sterile amd fertile shoots arising from testicular tubers the sterile shoots with 3 to 4, erect, conduplicate, narrowly elliptic to linear, acute, often petiolate based leaves, the fertile shoots carrying 8 to 16, cauline, subimbricate, ascending to the floral bracts, narrolwy lanceolate,acuminate leaves that blooms in the late spring and early summer on a dense, 4 to 8" [10 to 20 cm] long, 15 to 30 flowered inflorescence with nodding, faintly sweet scented flowers
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo ok; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 1 Pope 1995; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil drawing/photo 1999 fide; A molecular phylogeny for the large African orchid genus Disa Bytebier 2006; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 photos fide; Terrestrial African Orchids, A select Review John S. Ball 2009 drawing fide except for the wide lip apex shown in drawing
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