Disa uniflora

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Orchidaceae
Subfamilia: Orchidoideae
Tribus: Diseae
Subtribus: Disinae
Genus: Disa
Species: Disa uniflora
Name

Disa uniflora P.J.Bergius, Descr. Pl. Cap.: 348. (1767)

Type species:

Synonymy

Homotypic
Disa grandiflora L.f., Suppl. Pl.: 406 (1782), nom. illeg.
Satyrium grandiflorum Thunb., Prodr. Pl. Cap.: 4 (1794)
Heterotypic
Disa barellii De Puydt, Orchidées: 275 (1880)

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Africa
Southern Africa
Cape Provinces.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Bergius, P.J. 1767. Descriptiones Plantarum ex Capite Bonae Spei: 348.
Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.W. & Rasmussen, F.N. (eds.) 2001. Genera Orchidacearum Volume 2: Orchidoideae (Part one); page 33 ff., Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850710-0

Additional references

Bytebier, B., Bellstedt, D.U. & Linder, H.P. (2008) A new phylogeny-based sectional classification for the large African orchid genus Disa. Taxon 57: 1233–1251.

Links

Global Biodiversity Information Facility. 2022. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. Taxon: Disa uniflora. Accessed: 2022 Jan 15.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Disa uniflora in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Jan 15. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Disa uniflora in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Jan 15. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2022. Disa uniflora. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2022. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Jan 15. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Disa uniflora. Published online. Accessed: 15 Jan 2022.
Tropicos.org 2022. Disa uniflora. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 15 Jan 2022.

Vernacular names

Afrikaans: Bakkiesblom
English: Red Disa

Disa uniflora, the red disa or pride of Table Mountain,[1][2] is a South African species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae.[1][3] 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.[1][3][2][4]

Distribution
Disa uniflora blooming along a stream in its natural habitat on the slopes of the Cape Fold Belt mountains.

Its range is restricted to the Sandstone Mountains of the South Western Cape, South Africa, west of Hermanus to Table Mountain[4] and northwards into the Cederberg Mountains.[3] It is common on Table Mountain, and the Back Table, but is rarely seen further south on the Cape Peninsula.[1] The orchid grows near waterfalls, streamlets, and seeps in the mountains.[1][3] It is, however, never found along the shores of dams whose water levels vary considerably during the year.
Description

It is a fairly stout perennial 15 – 60 cm in height, spreading by stolons. The leaves are lance shaped, the lower ones spreading or semi-erect up to 25 cm long. The inflorescence is 1-3 flowered. The blooms are showy, and can be 10 cm across the laterally spreading sepals, which are scarlet to carmine in color. The middle, upright sepal is pinkish on the inside with scarlet veins.[1] The petals, which are very much smaller than the sepals, are erect colored yellow with red spots at their tops, but pale scarlet at their bases.[1] It blooms during the summer months, particularly in January, but continuing into March.[1][3][2][4] Its pollination is one of the most complex of all the orchids, involving the mountain pride butterfly, Aeropetes tulbaghia.[1]
As an emblem

The Mountain Club of South Africa, the Western Province Rugby Team and the Western Province sports use the image of this species on their badges and logos. It has been the Mountain Club's logo since its founding in 1891. The flowers are also depicted on the obverse side of the Pro Merito Medal (1975).

Sport an emblem

Association	Sport
Western Province Athletes [5]	Athletes
Cape Town Metro Aquatics [6]	Aquatics
Western Province Bowls[7]	Bowls
Western Province Hockey [8]	Field Hockey
Western Province Ice Hockey Association	Ice Hockey
Cape Town District, Western Cape Gymnastics Association[9]	Gymnastics
The Mountain Club of South Africa	Mountaineering
Western Province Rugby Football Union	Rugby Union
Western Province Figure Skating Association[10]	Figure Skating
Western Province Surfing [11]	Surfing

See also

Disa Park

References

Trinder-Smith, Terry (2006). "Orchidaceae". Wild Flowers of the Table Mountain National Park. Kirstenbosch, Claremont: Botanical Society of South Africa. pp. 104–105. ISBN 1874999600.
Maytham Kidd, Mary. (1983). "Orchidaceae". Cape Peninsula – South African Wild Flower Guide 3. Kirstenbosch, Claremont: Botanical Society of South Africa. pp. 40–41. ISBN 0620067454.
Manning, John (2007). "Disa". Field Guide to Fynbos. Cape Town: Struik Publishers. pp. 162–163. ISBN 9781770072657.
Burman, Lee; Bean, Anne (1985). "Orchidaceae". Hottentots-Holland tot Hermanus – Veldblomgids van Suid-Afrika 5. Kirstenbosch, Claremont: Botanical Society of South Africa. pp. 68–69. ISBN 0620083956.
"Western Province Athletics". Western Province Athletics. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
"Cape Town Metro Aquatics". Cape Town Metro Aquatics. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
"Western Province Bowls". Western Province Bowls. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
"Western Province Hockey Union - Home". www.wphockey.org.za. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
"Western Cape Gymnastics Association". Western Cape Gymnastics Association. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
"Western Province Figure Skating Association". 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
"Western Province Surfing". Retrieved 2022-04-29.