| Disa bracteata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Genus: | Disa |
| Species: | D. bracteata |
| Binomial name | |
| Disa bracteata | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
Disa bracteata, also known as the bract disa, leek orchid or the South African weed orchid is a species of orchid native to South Africa . [2]
This tuberous geophyte that typically grows up to 30 cm (12 in) tall, although there are records of taller specimens. [3] The linear-lanceolate leaves are 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) long. [4] They have a rounded base and sharply pointed tips. [5]
Flowers are present between September and November. [3] They grow in a many flowered cylindrical inflorescence that is 2–12 cm (0.79–4.72 in) long. The bracts are slightly longer than the flowers themselves. The flowers are bi-coloured with greenish-yellow lower sections and helmet-shaped maroon upper sections. [5] The helmet-shaped sepals are 2.5–4.5 mm (0.098–0.177 in) long. The shallowly triangular spur is 3–4.5 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long. The pendent lip has an oblong to oblanceolate shape. The anther is also pendent and has a large notch in the rostellum. [4]
This species is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. [3] It is found from sea level to an altitude of 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in Fynbos, Renosterveld and Albany Thicket habitats. It does particularly well in disturbed habitats, such as roadsides, where it is more common and occurs in higher densities than in undisturbed sites. [4]
Disa bracteata is invasive in Australia. [6] It is one of the few orchid species which has become naturalized in Australia. [7] It was first recorded in Western Australia in 1944, in South Australia in 1988, and Victoria in 1994. There is also a single recording in Tasmania. [2] At sites where D. bracteata has invaded, there have been up to 80 individuals found per square metre in the area. The similarity of environmental conditions in Australia and South Africa has allowed D. bracteata, as well as many other species native to South Africa, to become naturalised in various parts of Australia. [8]
This species is known to be capable of self pollination. [4] [9]
This species is considered to be of least concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). [10]
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae, a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Earth except glaciers. The world's richest diversity of orchid genera and species is found in the tropics.
Disa is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orchidaceae. It comprises about 182 species. Most of the species are indigenous to tropical and southern Africa, with a few more in the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, and Réunion. Disa bracteata is naturalised in Western Australia, where the local name is "African weed-orchid."
Disa uniflora, the red disa or pride of Table Mountain, is a South African species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It is the type species of the genus Disa, and one of its best-known members. It is occasionally referred to by its old name Disa grandiflora.
Serapias vomeracea, common name long-lipped serapias or the plow-share serapias, is a species of orchid in the genus Serapias.
Lyperanthus, commonly known as beak orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae, that is endemic to Australia. There are two species, one in Western Australia and the other in four eastern Australian states, distinguished by their single long, narrow, leathery leaf and dull coloured flowers which have prominent short calli on their labellum. Both form loose colonies which reproduce asexually from their tubers, and sexually using their flowers.
Pyrorchis, commonly known as beak orchids, is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. It contains two species which were previously included in the genus Lyperanthus, also known as beak orchids. Both species have fleshy, oval leaves and form colonies which flower profusely after bushfires.
Moraea aristata is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is referred to by the common names blue-eyed uintjie or Blouooguintjie in Afrikaans.It is endemic to the city of Cape Town and is considered to be critically endangered.
Baeometra is a genus in the family Colchicaceae containing a single species, Baeometra uniflora. It is native to South Africa, where it is commonly called beetle lily due to the dark markings on the tepals.
Gladiolus alatus is a species of geophyte from South Africa. Common names include painted ladies, king kalkoentjie and kipkippie. Kalkoentjie means "little turkey" in Afrikaans and refers to the shape of the flower, which resembles a turkey's wattle. It is popular as a garden plant and an important part of the cut flower industry in parts of the world on account of its large and showy orange flowers.
Ixia monadelpha, also known as the pied kalossie or bontkalossie, is an endangered species of geophyte found in wet sandy flats in the southwestern Cape of South Africa.
Geissorhiza aspera, also known as the blue satin flower or blou sysie, is a geophyte from South Africa.
Leucadendron salignum, also known as the common sunshine conebush, is an evergreen, dioecious shrub that produces several stems from the ground of up to 2 metres high; forming part of the genus Leucadendron from the family Proteaceae. It survives the wildfires that occur every one or two decades in the fynbos where it occurs by regrowing from an underground rootstock. Pollinated by beetles, it flowers from April to November. The winged seeds remain in the woody cones until they are released after a fire, and are distributed by the wind. It is possibly the most common Proteaceae species in South Africa, and can be found in the Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. Its current conservation status is Least Concern.
Thelymitra bracteata, commonly called the leafy sun orchid or large-bracted sum orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single leathery, more or less flat leaf and up to thirty pale blue flowers that are greenish on the back. The bracts are larger than on similar sun orchids.
Caladenia rosea is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to relatively inaccessible, high lateritic plateaux in a high rainfall area in south-western Western Australia. It is a terrestrial orchid with a single hairy leaf and up to three pink flowers on a thin, sparsely-hairy stem. It is similar to Caladenia flava but is distinguished by the perianth being pink to dark pink with prominent red striping and spotting on the dorsal sepal and lateral petals. Caladenia rosea mimics Hypocalymma robustum (Myrtaceae) in terms of flowering time, colour and scent.
Protea pendula, also known as the nodding sugarbush or arid sugarbush, is a flowering plant of the genus Protea, in the family Proteaceae, which is only found growing in the wild in the Cape Region of South Africa. In the Afrikaans language it is known as knikkopsuikerbossie or ondersteboknopprotea.
Protea recondita, also known as the hidden sugarbush, is a flowering plant of the genus Protea within the family Proteaceae, which is endemic to the Cape Region of South Africa, and distributed from the Piketberg and Cederberg to the Groot Winterhoek mountains. The flowers of this unusual plant are pollinated by non-flying mammals: rodents and elephant shrews. In the Afrikaans language it is known as gesigtoehouprotea or skaamroos.
Bartholina burmanniana, the spider orchid, is a species of deciduous, geophytic, flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is one of two species within the Bartholina genus, the other being B. etheliae. The species’ common name refers to its spreading and deeply cut lip that is said to resemble a spider's legs. It is native to the Eastern and the Western Cape Provinces of South Africa, flowering from the end of August to the middle of October and peaking in September. This is one of the species sometimes referred to as "spider orchid".
Protea burchellii, also known as Burchell's sugarbush, is a flowering shrub in the genus Protea, which is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa.
Cyphia bulbosa, also known by its common name Bulb Baroe, is a species of flowering plant from the genus Cyphia.
Syncarpha speciosissima, the Cape everlasting or Cape sewejaartjie, is a species of plant from South Africa.
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