Orchids of the Disa Genus

Spotted a new orchid flower at Brannon’s flower market the other day. From the Disa genus this is a very beautiful and unusual flower to add to your bouquets or arrangements.

Disa flowers are built differently to many orchid flowers, as three most conspicuous parts of the flower are actually sepals, not petals. The dorsal sepal is often a different color and pattern than the two lateral sepals. The small petals are partly hidden behind the pollinia, and the lip, usually the most conspicuous part of an orchid flower, is a very small “tab” directly below the stigma.

Disa are also unusual in habitat. Most of the orchids we are familiar with are naturally epiphytes, or growing in shady conditions in trees. Disa grow along cold mountain streams of among roots on rocks, and on cliff faces, near waterfalls and along seeps, always with their “feet” wet. Their distribution is restricted to the Fynbos, a unique, arid, scrub forest in South Africa. While they experience warm sunny days, their roots stay very cool, never above 70F. All of the species require bright light in order to grow and flower well.