Orchidaceae
Disa

Disa miniata Summerh.

First published in Kew Bull. 17: 539 (1964)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Orchidaceae, I. la Croix and P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:1. 1995

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb with separate sterile and fertile shoots.
Morphology General Shoots
Sterile shoot up to 70 cm tall; leaves 2–3, conduplicate, to 30 × 1 cm, oblanceolate-linear, acute. Fertile shoots 30–60 cm tall; cauline leaves imbricate or subimbricate, 4–8 cm long, lanceolate, acute, closely sheathing; basal leaves somewhat smaller.
Sterile
Sterile shoot up to 70 cm tall; leaves 2–3, conduplicate, to 30 × 1 cm, oblanceolate-linear, acute.
Fertile
Fertile shoots 30–60 cm tall; cauline leaves imbricate or subimbricate, 4–8 cm long, lanceolate, acute, closely sheathing; basal leaves somewhat smaller.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence subdense to dense, 4–16 cm long, 5–40-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Floral bracts 2–3 cm long, narrowly ovate, acute to acuminate, overtopping the flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers more or less orange.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur pendent from above the middle of the galea, reaching to the base of the dorsal sepal 3.5–4.2 mm long, strongly clavate, to 2 mm in diameter at apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Lateral sepals 5.5–6.6 mm long, ovate, subacute, spreading sideways or upwards. Dorsal sepal 4.5–6.6 × 2.5–3.6 mm, ovate-elliptic, subacute, erect or slightly curved forwards, galea c. 1.5 mm deep.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 2-lobed; anterior lobe 3.5–5 mm tall and 3–4 mm wide, the upper margins incurved; posterior lobe 3–4.5 mm tall and 0.5–0.7 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip pendent, 4–6 mm long, linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Rostellum less than 1 mm tall.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther erect, with a massive connective.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma massive, to 3 mm in diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 1–2 cm long.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit
A terrestrial herb 3–4.5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.
Vegetative Multiplication Tubers
Tubers ellipsoid, ± 1.5 cm. long and 5 mm. in diameter, glabrous or ± tomentose.
Morphology Roots
Roots slender, flexuous, sparsely pubescent.
Morphology Stem
Flowering stems slender or rather slender, almost covered by the sheathing leaves; leaves 9–12, adpressed to the stem, the lowermost 1–2 sheath-like, spotted or marked with red, the remainder lanceolate, acute, the largest 4–7.5 cm. long and 5–12 mm. broad. Sterile stems short, with a few overlapping sheaths at the base and 2 or 3 leaves at the apex; leaves narrowly lanceolate, acute, 8–10 cm. long, 1–1.5 cm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 3.5–10 cm. long, 2–2.5 cm. in diameter, not very densely 6–20-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts leafy, lanceolate, acuminate, 1.5- 2.7 cm. long, green or tinged red, mostly overtopping the flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers suberect, orange or vermilion; pedicel with ovary straight, 1–1.5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal erect, ovate-elliptical, subacute, spurred at or above the middle, ± 6 mm. long and 3.5 mm. broad, the spur pendent, club-shaped from a narrow base, obtuse, ± 4 mm. long and 2 mm. in diameter; laterals spreading, ovate-elliptical, obtuse, 6–7 mm. long, ± 4.5 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals erect, broadly obovate in general shape, 2-lobed near the apex, altogether 4–5.5 mm. long, nearly 4 mm. broad; front lobe broad, rounded, much larger and longer than the small oblong or lanceolate-oblong back lobe which is 1.5–2 mm. long and 1 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip pendent, linear, ± 5 mm. long and scarcely 1 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther erect, shortly stalked, just over 3 mm. high.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma nearly orbicular, ± 2 mm. in diameter.
Habitat
Marshes or wet grassland; 1900 m.
Distribution
T7
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0