Disperis togoensis

Summerhayes, V. B., 1968, Orchidaceae (Part 1) part., Flora of Tropical East Africa 1 (1) : 221

3. D. togoensis Schltr .

in E.J. 38: 2, fig. 1 (1905) & in V.E. 2: 425, fig. 300 (1908) & in F.R. Beih. 68, t. 44/176 (1932); Summerh. in F.W.T.A., ed. 2, 3: 203, fig. 387 (1968). Type: Togo, Agome Mt., near Ashanti-Kpoeta, Schlechter 12990 (B, holo. f)

Glabrous herb, 5-13 cm. tall, arising from densely hairy elongate-ovoid or ellipsoidal tubers 1-1-5 cm. long, 5 mm. wide. Leaves 1-3, alternate, sessile, ovate or almost round, 0-6-3-5 cm. long, 0-5-2 cm. wide, obtuse to acute, cordate, mostly crimson-purplish beneath, the venation white when living. Inflorescence 3-10-flowered; flowers pale mauve; bracts leaf-like, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 0-8-1-6 cm. long, 9 mm. W'ide, obtuse or acute. Intermediate sepal linear-lanceolate, 7-8 mm. long, 0-6-1-1 mm. wide, joined to the petals to form an open apically inflexed slightly concave basally cordate hood; lateral sepals subovate, oblique, 8-9-5 mm. long, 4-5 mm. wide, joined for about a quarter to a half of their length, bearing small sacs 0-5 mm. long. Petals half-cordate, 0-7-1-05 cm. long, 2-3-5 mm, wide, acute. Lip 4-5-5 mm. long, with claw sharply bent back on itself near base and there bearing a 2-lobed appendage, the lobes diverging and papillate; claw terminating in a round or transversely elliptic blade, 1-2-1 -8 mm. long, 1-8-2-3 mm. wide, bearing a ± elliptic papillate protuberance near its middle. Fig. 39/3.

Uganda. Bunyoro District: Nyabyeya Hill, Aug. 1950, Osmaston 716!

Tanganyika. E. Usambara Mts., NW. of Amani, Sangerawe, July 1929, Greenway 1663! & Aug. 1941, Moreau 219! & between Sangerawe and Monga, July 1939, Greenway 5892!

Distb. U2; T3; Togo, Dahomey, N. Nigeria, Cameroun and Congo Republics Hajb. Hyparrhenia , Andropogon , Themeda grassland; 900-1050 m.

Syn. D. cordata Summerh . in K.B. 1933: 252 (1933), non Sw., nom. illegit. Type: Cameroun Republic, Bamenda District, Bum, Maitland 1519 (K, holo.!)

D. cardiopetala Summerh . in Hook., Ic. PI. 33, t. 3270 (1935) & in F.W.T.A. 2: 418 (1936). Type: as for D. cordata Summerh .