Disperis katangensis Summerh. 1931 Photo by © Nick Wightman and Flora of Zambia Website

Common Name The Katanga Disperis [An area of Zaire]

Flower Size

Found in Zaire, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia in brachystegia woodlands, in loam in shade by lake edge or in pockets on quartzite ridges at elevations of 1500 to 2000 meter as a mini-miniature to small sized, cool growing terrestrial with a hairy,l ellipsoid tuber giving rise to 2 to 3, alternate or rarely the lowest pair subopposite, but with 1 to 2 leaves always distant, sessile, basally clasping, ovate to ovate-rounded, mostly purplish beneath, whitish venation, acuminate to shortly apiculate, cordate leaves that blooms in the summer on an erect, 2.2 to 5.6" [5.5 to 14 cm] long, 1 to 4 flowered inflorescence with leaf-like, elliptic, obtuse to acute floral bracts and carrying whitish, pinkish-mause to purplish flowers.

"D. katangensis belongs to a distinct group of the genus in which the claw is bent back on itself close to the point of adnation with the column and there dilated to form a conspicuous papillate basal appendage; the claw ends in a limb which has a papillate crest. This group also contains D. johnstonii Rchb.f ex Rolfe , D. mozambicensis and D. togoinsis ; D. reichenbachiana is also very similar but the limb is reduced and its crest has given way to a hoof-shaped apical appendage. In D. leuconeura it is possible that the appendage is homologous with the basal appendage of this group and that the limb has entirely disappeared. Certainly this basal appendage is not homologous with the apical appendage found in the majority of the species." Verdcourt 1968

In var. minor the appendage is decidedly bilobed but the majority of typical katangensis from the north-western area of Zambia have the appendage broadly reniform." Verdcourt 1968

Synonyms Disperis katangensis var. minor Verdc. 1968

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1931: 384 Summerhayes 1931

Kew Bulletin Vol 22 1: 93 Verdcourt 1968 as D katangensis var. minor

Flore D'Afrique Centrale [Zaire- Rwands - Burundi] Orhidaceae Premeir parte Geerink 1984 drawing fide;

Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 1 Pope 1995 drawing fide;

Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Orchidaceae Part 1 Pope 1995 as D katangensis var minor;

The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 drawing/photo fide;

The Orchids of South Central Africa Williamson 1977 as D katangensis var minor;

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