Disa, a genus of terrestrial orchids from Africa, was named after queen Disa of Swedish mythology, by botanist P.J. Bergius. Very few of the 160-odd species in this genus have been successfully cultivated or hybridized on any significant scale.
A disproportionate number of Disa species come from a small, mountainous region close to the southwestern corner of the African continent. In fact several occur on Table Mountain, the famous backdrop to the city of Cape Town. Here they experience winter rainfall and relatively mild temperatures. Five of the Disa species from this region (the Western Cape) are associated with streams, waterfalls or mountain seepages, and account for most of the Disas (including hybrids) that are in cultivation. The species are Disa uniflora, D. racemosa, D. tripetaloides, D. aurata and D. cardinalis, and these are the ones that are covered in more detail on this site. |