Orchidaceae
Disperis

Disperis bifida P.J.Cribb

First published in Kew Bull. 40: 403 (1985)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Zambia (Nyika Plateau). It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb 15–30 cm tall.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2, opposite, dark green, 2.5–4.5 × 1.5–3.5 cm, ovate, acute, cordate at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 1–4-flowered; flowers bright rose-pink with 2 rows of carmine spots inside the hood, spur and underside of lateral sepals paler.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel and Ovary
Ovary and pedicel 20 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts leaf-like, 10 × 7 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal together with the petals forming a hood, extending into a slender spur c. 1 mm in diameter, bifid at the apex, 14–17 mm long from apex of dorsal sepal to tip of spur, 7–9 mm long from tip of spur to apex of ovary. Lateral sepals deflexed or projecting, 10 × 5 mm, obliquely semi-orbicular, each with a short spur c. 1 mm long about halfway along their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 8–10 × 5 mm, lobed and erose on the front margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip c. 11 mm long, linear, extending into the hood but not reaching the top, recurved before the apex; appendage 3-lobed, the mid-lobe short and entire, the side lobes lacinate.
[FZ]

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

  • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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