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Disa praecox
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Nyika Plateau National Park.
Photo: Bart Wursten
Nyika Plateau National Park.
Photo: Bart Wursten
Nyika Plateau National Park.
Photo: Bart Wursten
Nyika Plateau National Park.
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Herschelia praecox Lindl. Herschelianthe praecox (H.P. Linder) H.P. Linder |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | Very local and uncommon |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Terrestrial herb 20–40 cm tall. Basal leaves c. 6, produced after flowering, c. 30 cm long and 1–2 mm wide, semi-erect. Leaves along the stem few, completely sheathing, 2–3 cm long. Inflorescence laxly 2–10-flowered, 4–13 cm long. Bracts dry, ovate, c. 1 cm long. Flowers white to blue or dark-mauve. Dorsal sepal hooded erect, 10–12 mm tall, c. 8 mm wide, with an erect to reflexed apex. Spur 3–5 mm long, cylindrical or laterally flattened, horizontal or gradually ascending. Lateral sepals narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 10–12 mm long. Lip narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 11–13 mm long, curved upwards, margins almost entire to shallowly fimbriate on the sides. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | praecox: "very early", referring to the very early flowering time of this species. |
| Habitat: | Montane grassland. |
| Altitude range: | Above 2000 m |
| Flowering time: | Aug - Sep |
| Worldwide distribution: | Only known from the Nyika Plateau in Malawi and Zambia. |
| Malawi distribution: | N |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | Near Endemic |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Content last updated: | Thursday 23 August 2018 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 321. La Croix, I. & Cribb, P.J. (1995). Orchidaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 11(1) Pages 194 - 195. As Herschelianthe praecox La Croix, I. et al. (1991). Orchids of Malawi A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam Page 127. as Herschelianthe praecox (Includes a picture). Linder, H.P. (1985). Notes on the orchids of Southern tropical Africa I: Brownleea and Herschelia Kew Bulletin 40(1) Page 127. as Herschelianthe praecox Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 119. Willis, C.K., Burrows, J.E., Fish, L., Phiri, P.S.M., Chikuni, A.C. & Golding, J. (2001). Developing a greater understanding of the flora of the Nyika Syst. Geogr. Pl. 71(2) Page 999. As Herschelianthe praecox |
Other sources of information about Disa praecox:
Our websites:
Flora of Zambia: Disa praecoxExternal websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Disa praecoxBHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Disa praecox
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Disa praecox
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Disa praecox
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Disa praecox
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Disa praecox
JSTOR Plant Science: Disa praecox
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Disa praecox
Plants of the World Online: Disa praecox
Tropicos: Disa praecox
Wikipedia: Disa praecox
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