Disa versicolor Rchb.f. 1865 SECTION Micranthae

Plant In situ Zimbabwe Photos by Bart Wursten ©, and his Flora Of Zimbabwe WebSite

LATE

Common Name The Colorful Disa

Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]

Found in Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal South Africa as well as Swaziland on rocky slopes in montane grassland at elevations of sealevel to 2300 meters as a medium sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial orchid with a separate fan of 3 to 5, sterile leaves and blooms on a termianal, 2.2 to 12" [6 to 340 cm] long, erect, many flowered inflorescence arising in the late spring and summer and carrying chocolate-vanilla scented flowers

Synonyms Disa hemisphaerophora Rchb.f. 1881; Disa macowanii Rchb.f. 1881

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Otia Botanica Hamburgensia Rchb.f 1881 as D hemisphaerophora; Otia Botanica Hamburgensia Rchb.f 1881 as D macowanii; 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 1999 photo ok; A molecular phylogeny for the large African orchid genus Disa Bytebier 2006; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 #7 2007 photo fide; 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

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