Disa (plant) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Disa (plant)
Disa cardinalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Diseae
Subtribe:	Disinae
Genus:	Disa P.J.Bergius 1767
Species
See text
Synonyms
Repandra Lindl. Penthea Lindl. Forficaria Lindl. Gamaria Raf. Herschelia Lindl. Monadenia Lindl. Schizodium Lindl. Orthopenthea Rolfe in W.H.Harvey Amphigena Rolfe in W.H.Harvey Herschelianthe Rauschert × Herscheliodisa H.P.Linder

Disa is a group of about 182 different kinds of flowering plants. They belong to the Orchid family, also known as Orchidaceae. Most Disa species grow naturally in warm, tropical and southern Africa. You can also find a few in the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, and Réunion.

One type, Disa bracteata, has spread to Western Australia. People there sometimes call it the "African weed-orchid."

The name Disa was given to this group of plants by Peter Jonas Bergius in 1767. It was named after a heroine from an old Swedish story.

What Disa Plants Look Like

These plants grow from a thick, fleshy root that looks a bit like a potato. This root can be used to make a sugar substitute. Some Disa plants can grow quite tall, up to 90 centimeters (about 3 feet).

The flowers can grow by themselves or in clusters called racemes. The small inner parts of the flower, called petals and the lip, are tiny. The most noticeable parts of the flowers are the sepals, which are usually green or leaf-like. Disa flowers come in many shades of red, from very light to very dark.

How Disa Flowers Get Pollinated

Disa plants have many clever ways to get pollinated. Each type of Disa flower usually has one specific pollinator, which is an animal that helps spread pollen. Almost every kind of pollinating insect is used by some Disa species.

It's interesting that different Disa species that use the same pollinator often developed similar flower shapes. This happened even if they weren't closely related. This is called convergent evolution. Scientists used to get confused when trying to group Disa plants. But now, they use DNA information to understand their true family tree.

Here are some cool examples of how Disa flowers have changed to attract pollinators:

• Flowers pollinated by butterflies have appeared twice in Disa history. For example, the beautiful Disa uniflora is pollinated by the Table Mountain Pride Butterfly.
• Some flowers trick carpenter bees into pollinating them. This trick has also developed twice.
• Flowers with long spurs (a tube-like part) that are pollinated by long-tongued flies have appeared four times.
• Flowers that smell nice at night and are pollinated by moths have developed three times.

Disa is a great example of how new plant types can form when pollinators change or evolve. Some Disa species are even pollinated by sunbirds! Their pollen sticks to the sunbirds' feet when they land on the flowers.

Horticulture (Growing Disa Plants)

Disa uniflora flowers.

The species Disa uniflora is a very popular ornamental plant. It's a stunning red orchid known as "The Pride of Table Mountain." Other Disa species often grown by people include Disa aurata, Disa cardinalis, Disa crassicornis, Disa racemosa, Disa sagittalis, and Disa tripetaloides. Some types are only grown in African gardens.

Disa uniflora used to be very rare to grow. But now, it's becoming more popular as a cut flower. However, they are tricky to grow because they need a special mix of minerals in their potting soil. Also, if they get too much water, they can easily get rot and die.

Hybrids

Scientists and gardeners have used seven Disa species to create over 400 different hybrids. These are new types of plants made by crossing two different species. The species used include Disa cardinalis, Disa caulescens, Disa racemosa, Disa tripetaloides, Disa uniflora, Disa aurata, and Disa venosa.

Here are a few examples of these interesting hybrids:

• Disa × brendae (a mix of D. caulescens and D. uniflora) found in South Africa.
• Disa × maculomarronina (a mix of D. hircicornis and D. versicolor) found in South Africa.
• Disa × nuwebergensis (a mix of D. caulescens and D. tripetaloides) found in South Africa.
• Disa × paludicola (a mix of D. chrysostachya and D. rhodantha) found in South Africa.

Species

Here is a list of Disa species that scientists recognized in May 2014:

• Disa aconitoides (Ethiopia to S. Africa)
  • Disa aconitoides subsp. aconitoides (Ethiopia to S. Africa) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa aconitoides subsp. concinna (Congo to S. Trop. Africa) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa aconitoides subsp. goetzeana (Ethiopia to Tanzania) Tuber geophyte
• Disa aequiloba (SW. Tanzania to Angola)
• Disa alinae (Congo)
• Disa alticola (Mpumalanga / East-Transvaal)
• Disa amoena ( Mpumalanga / East-Transvaal)
• Disa andringitrana (SE. & S. Madagascar)
• Disa aperta (SW. & S. Tanzania to Zambia)
• Disa arida (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa aristata (South Africa, Northern Prov.)
• Disa atricapilla (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa atrorubens (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa aurata (South Africa, Cape Prov. (Swellendam)
• Disa barbata (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa basutorum (S. Africa (Drakensberg)
• Disa baurii (Tanzania to S. Africa)
• Disa begleyi (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa bifida (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa biflora (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa bivalvata (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa bodkinii (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa bolusiana (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa borbonica (Réunion)
• Disa brachyceras (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa bracteata, formerly Monadenia bracteata (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.; naturalised in Australia)
• Disa brevicornis (S. Trop. & S. Africa)
• Disa brevipetala (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.; Kleinmond area)
• Disa buchenaviana (C. & SE. Madagascar)
• Disa caffra (Southern Congo to S. Africa, Madagascar)
• Disa cardinalis (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.; Riversdale)
• Disa caulescens (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa cedarbergensis (South Africa, Cape Prov.; Cedarberg)
• Disa celata (S. Tanzania to Angola)
• Disa cephalotes (S. Africa)
  • Disa cephalotes subsp. cephalotes (S. Africa) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa cephalotes subsp. frigida (Lesotho to KwaZulu-Natal) Tuber geophyte
• Disa cernua (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov)
• Disa chimanimaniensis (Chimanimani Mts, Zimbabwe)
• Disa chrysostachya (S. Africa)
• Disa clavicornis (Mpumalanga / East-Transvaal)
• Disa cochlearis (South Africa, Cape Prov.; Elandsberg)
• Disa comosa (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa conferta (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa cooperi (S. Africa)
• Disa cornuta (Zimbabwe to S. Africa)
• Disa crassicornis (S. Africa)
• Disa cryptantha (Ethiopia, S. Tanzania to Zambia)
• Disa cylindrica (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa danielae (S. Congo)
• Disa densiflora (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa dichroa (S. Congo to Zambia)
• Disa dracomontana (S. Africa (C. Drakensberg)
• Disa draconis (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa ecalcarata (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.; Constantiaberg)
• Disa elegans (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa eminii (Rwanda to Zambia)
• Disa engleriana (Tanzania to Zambia)
• Disa equestris (Trop. Africa)
• Disa erubescens (Trop. Africa)
  • Disa erubescens subsp. carsonii (Tanzania to Zambia)
  • Disa erubescens subsp. erubescens (Trop. Africa) Tuber geophyte
• Disa esterhuyseniae (South Africa, WSW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa extinctoria (South Africa; Northern Prov., Swaziland)
• Disa fasciata (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa ferruginea (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa filicornis (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa forcipata (South Africa, Cape Prov.; Possibly extinct)
• Disa forficaria (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa fragrans (Ethiopia to S. Africa)
  • Disa fragrans subsp. deckenii (NE. & E. Trop. Africa to Congo) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa fragrans subsp. fragrans (Tanzania to S. Africa) Tuber geophyte
• Disa galpinii (South Africa, E. Cape Prov. to KwaZulu-Natal)
• Disa gladioliflora (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.)
  • Disa gladioliflora subsp. capricornis (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa gladioliflora subsp. gladioliflora (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
• Disa glandulosa (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa graminifolia (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa hallackii (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa harveyana (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
  • Disa harveyana subsp. harveyana (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa harveyana subsp. longicalcarata (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
• Disa helenae (Zambia)
• Disa hians (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa hircicornis (Trop. & S. Africa)
• Disa incarnata (C. & SE. Madagascar)
• Disa intermedia (South Africa, Swaziland)
• Disa introrsa (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.; Skurweberge)
• Disa karooica (South Africa, NW. & C. Cape Prov.)
• Disa katangensis (S. Congo to Angola)
• Disa linderiana (South Africa, W. Cape Prov.)
• Disa lineata (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa lisowskii (Congo)
• Disa longicornu (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa longifolia (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa longilabris (SW. Tanzania to N. Malawi)
• Disa lugens (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
  • Disa lugens var. lugens (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa lugens var. nigrescens (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.; Oyster Bay) Tuber geophyte
• Disa macrostachya (South Africa W. Cape Prov.; Rooiberg)
• Disa maculata (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa marlothii (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa micropetala (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa miniata (SW. Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Disa minor (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa montana (South Africa, E. Cape Prov.)
• Disa multifida (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa neglecta (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.; Worcester)
• Disa nervosa (S. Africa)
• Disa newdigateae (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.; Knysna area)
• Disa nigerica (Nigeria to Congo)
• Disa nivea (S. Africa, S. Drakensberg)
• Disa nubigena (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.; Devils Peak)
• Disa nyikensis (Malawi to Zambia)
• Disa obtusa (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
  • Disa obtusa subsp. hottentotica (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa obtusa subsp. obtusa (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa obtusa subsp. picta (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
• Disa ocellata (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa ochrostachya (Cameroon to Tanzania and S. Trop. Africa)
• Disa oligantha (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa ophrydea (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa oreophila (S. Africa)
  • Disa oreophila subsp. erecta (South Africa, S. Africa; Drakensberg) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa oreophila subsp. oreophila (S. Africa.) Tuber geophyte
• Disa ornithantha (SW. Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Disa ovalifolia (South Africa, WSW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa patula (Zimbabwe to S. Africa)
  • Disa patula var. patula (South Africa, E. Cape Prov. to Mpumalanga / East-Transvaal) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa patula var. transvaalensis (Zimbabwe to S. Africa) Tuber geophyte
• Disa perplexa (Nigeria, E. & S. Trop. Africa)
• Disa physodes (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa pillansii (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa polygonoides (Mozambique to S. Africa)
• Disa porrecta (S. Africa)
• Disa praecox (S. Trop. Africa; Nyika Plateau)
• Disa pulchella (Ethiopia, Yemen)
• Disa pulchra (S. Africa)
• Disa purpurascens (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa pygmaea (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa racemosa (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa renziana (Congo)
• Disa reticulata (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa rhodantha (Zimbabwe to S. Africa)
• Disa richardiana (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa robusta (EC. Trop. Africa)
• Disa roeperocharoides (S. Congo to Zambia)
• Disa rosea (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa rufescens (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa rungweensis (SW. Tanzania to Malawi)
• Disa sabulosa (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa sagittalis (South Africa, S. & SE. Cape Prov. to S. KwaZulu-Natal)
• Disa salteri (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov)
• Disa sanguinea (South Africa, E. Cape Prov. to S. KwaZulu-Natal)
• Disa sankeyi ( S. Africa)
• Disa satyriopsis (Tanzania to Zambia)
• Disa saxicola (Tanzania to S. Africa)
• Disa schizodioides (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa schlechteriana (South Africa, SSW. Cape Prov.; Langeberg)
• Disa scullyi (South Africa, E. Cape Prov. S. KwaZulu)
• Disa scutellifera (NE. & E. Trop. Africa)
• Disa similis (S. Trop. & S. Africa)
• Disa spathulata (South Africa, Cape Prov.)
  • Disa spathulata subsp. spathulata (South Africa, Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa spathulata subsp. tripartita (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
• Disa stachyoides (S. Africa)
• Disa stairsii (NE. Congo to E. Trop. Africa)
• Disa stricta (S. Africa)
• Disa subtenuicornis (South Africa, Cape Prov.; Riversdale)
• Disa telipogonis (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa tenella (South Africa, Cape Prov.)
  • Disa tenella subsp. pusilla (South Africa, W. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
  • Disa tenella subsp. tenella (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.) Tuber geophyte
• Disa tenuicornis (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa tenuifolia (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa tenuis (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa thodei (S. Africa, Eastern Cape to Drakensberg)
• Disa triloba (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov)
• Disa tripetaloides (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov. to S. KwaZulu-Natal)
• Disa tysonii (South Africa, S. & E. Cape Prov. to Leshoto)
• Disa ukingensis (S. Tanzania to E. Zambia)
• Disa uncinata (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa uniflora (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa vaginata (South Africa, SW. & S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa vasselotii (South Africa, S. Cape Prov.)
• Disa venosa (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa venusta (South Africa, SW. & E. Cape Prov.)
• Disa verdickii (S. Congo to Angola)
• Disa versicolor (S. Trop. & S. Africa)
• Disa virginalis (South Africa, SW. Cape Prov.)
• Disa walleri (Burundi to S. Trop. Africa)
• Disa walteri (SW. Tanzania)
• Disa welwitschii (Trop. & S. Africa)
  • Disa welwitschii subsp. occultans (Trop. Africa)
  • Disa welwitschii subsp. welwitschii (Trop. & S. Africa) Tuber geophyte
• Disa woodii (Zimbabwe to S. Africa)
• Disa zimbabweensis (Manicaland, Zimbabwe)
• Disa zombica (Tanzania to S. Trop. Africa)
• Disa zuluensis (Mpumalanga / East-Transvaal, KwaZulu-Natal)

Images for kids

• 

  Disa purpurascens Bolus

• 

  Disa sagittalis
  (L. f.) Sw.

• Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M.; Zizka, G. (2014). "Disa". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. http://www.africanplants.senckenberg.de/root/index.php?submitForm=true&page_id=77&searchTextMenue=Disa&filterRegionIDs%5B%5D=6&filterRegionIDs%5B%5D=1&filterRegionIDs%5B%5D=2&filterRegionIDs%5B%5D=3&filterRegionIDs%5B%5D=5.

See also

In Spanish: Disa (orquídea) para niños