Disperis wealei Rchb.f. 1881

Inflorescence in situ Photos by © Cameron McMaster

EARLY

Common Name Weale's Disperis [English Naturalist and Farmer in SA 1800's]

Flower Size .3 to .5" [.8 to 1.2 cm]

Found in Cape Province, Lesotho, Natal and Transvaal South Africa among grasses in seepages areas at elevations of 1800 to 2000 meters as a solitary, small sized, cold growing terrestrial orchid with 2 to 4, cauline, erect, alternate, sessile, eliptic to oblong-lanceolate, glabrous leaves that blooms in the summer and early fall on an erect, 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] long, 1 to 6 flowered inflorescence

Synonyms Disperis flava Rolfe 1913; Disperis gracilis Schltr. 1895

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI; *Otia Botanica Hamburgensia Rchb.f 1881; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982 photo fide; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 71 No 3 2007 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 photos fide

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