Disperis dicerochila

Summerhayes, V. B., 1968, Orchidaceae (Part 1) part., Flora of Tropical East Africa 1 (1) : 223-225

7. D. dicerochila Summerh .

in Hook., Ic. PI. 33, t. 3272 (1935). Type: Uganda, Ruwenzori, Nyinabitaba, Eggeling 1382 (K, holo.!)

Glabrous herb, 6-26 cm. tall, arising from a densely hairy ellipsoid or almost round tuber 1-3 cm. long, 0-6-1-2 cm. wide. Leaves 2, opposite, sheathing at the base, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 1-5-5 cm. long, 1-3-4 cm. wide, acute or shortly acuminate, rounded or almost cordate above the sheath, often purplish beneath. Racemes 1-3-flowered; flowers white often tinged rose or purple or entirely magenta; bracts leaf-like, lanceolate,

0-7-2-6 cm. long, 0-3-1-1 cm. wide, acuminate. Intermediate sepal narrowly linear-lanceolate, 0-7-1-1 cm. long, joined to the petals to form an open boat-shaped hood; lateral sepals rhomboid-ovate, 0-7-1 cm. long, 4-7-5 mm. wide, acute, practically free, bearing obtuse sacs 1-5-2 inm. long. Petals B-shaped or elliptic, slightly curved, 0-7-1 cm. long, 3-5-4 mm. wide, obtuse. Lip 7-9 mm. long, with long claw bearing a short reflexed limb at apex together with 2 appendages each with the upper lobule elongate and narrowed to a papillate apex and the lower lobule shorter, recurved and usually auriculate. Fig. 40, p. 224.

Uganda. Ruwenzori, Nyinabitaba, Aug. 1931, Fishlock & Hancock 25! & Mihunga, Jan. 1939, Loveridge 374! & Ruwenzori, without precise locality, Aug. 1938, Purseglove 221!

Kenya. S. Elgon, June 1941, Selby in Twcedie 568!; Naivasha District: Kinangop, Dec. 1930, Napier 635!; near Londiani, Sitoton, July 1951, D. Davis 59! Tanganyika. Mbeya District: Wentzel-Heckmann Lake, Mar. 1932, St. Clair-

Thompson 667!; Iringa District: Mufindi, Luisenga R., Mar. 1962, Polhill <$c Paulo 1785!; Songea District: Matengo Hills, Lupembe Hill, Feb. 1956, Milne-Redhead & Taylor 8906!

Distr. TJ2, 3; K3-5,?6; T7, 8; Congo Republic, Ethiopia, Malawi and Rhodesia (see note)

Hab. On leaf-litter, mossy branches, rocks etc. in upland rain-forest; sometimes persisting in Cupressus plantations; 1650-2600 m.

Note. Lucas 225 (Kenya, Kiarnbu District, S. Kinangop, Sasamua Dam road, 18 Mar. 1962) differs in having elliptic petals but agrees in details of lip sculpture and is no more than a minor variant.

In Rhodesia specimens apparently referable to D. dicerochila occur together with D. virginalis Schltr . { D. nelsonii Rolfe ) which differs in having the limb and appendages of the lip papillose-hairy. The relationships of the two need investigation in the field.