Orchidaceae
Disa

Disa zimbabweensis H.P.Linder

First published in Contr. Bolus Herb. 9: 267 (1981)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tropical Africa to Mpumalanga. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136534358/136538263

Conservation
VU - vulnerable
[IUCN]

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

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial herb perennating by testicular tubers. Plants (10)15–30 cm tall.
Morphology Leaves
Lower cauline leaves semi-erect, often clustered at stem base, 4–8 cm long, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate; margins plane or very rarely crisped. Upper cauline leaves sheathing, lax or imbricate, lanceolate, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence dense, 3–12 cm long, more than 10-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Floral bracts about as tall as the flowers, lanceolate to ovate, usually acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pale pink to purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Dorsal sepal galeate; galea 2.5–4.5 mm long and c. 2 mm wide, almost hemisphaerical. Lateral sepal 2.5–3.5 mm long, oblong to ovate, subacute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Spur
Spur horizontal or ascending from the base, 2.7–4 mm long, cylindric; apex irregularly clavate and usually up-curved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals erect, partially included within the galea, 2–2.8 mm long, obliquely quadrate-obovate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum
Lip 1.7–2.4 mm long, narrowly oblong, rounded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Rostellum
Rostellum lateral lobes square and the central lobe much reduced.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther almost horizontal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma pedicellate, almost as tall as the rostellum.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 5–10 mm 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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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 2025. 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