Botanical name

Disa graminifolia

Family

Orchidaceae

Common Name

Blue Disa, Bloumoederkappie

Synonym (old name)

Herschelia graminifolia
Disa graminifolia
Disa graminifolia
Disa graminifolia
Disa graminifolia
Disa graminifolia
Disa graminifolia

Description

Slender plant up to 60cm tall with radical (arising from the base of the stem), grass-like leaves that are dry at flowering. Inflorescence lax with 2-6 blue to violet-purple flowers, with petal apices often green and lip dark purple. The 2-4mm long spur is club-shaped. Flowers often sweetly scented. It is thought that the orchid is pollinated by carpenter bees which mistake the brilliant blue flowers for a source of nectar. This species can be confused with Disa purpurascens but can be identified by the club-shaped spur, down-curved lip margins and later flowering time.

Habitat

Dry rocky sandstone - often in dense vegetation - in full sunlight

Flower Date

January to March