Disperis kerstenii

Summerhayes, V. B., 1968, Orchidaceae (Part 1) part., Flora of Tropical East Africa 1 (1) : 226

11. D. kerstenii Reichb .f.,

Otia Bot. Hamburg. 2: 102 (1881); Schltr. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 6: 948 (1898); Rolfe in F.T.A. 7: 291 (1898). Type: Tanganyika, S. footslopes of Kilimanjaro, 900-1200 m., Kersten (B, holo. |, W, fragment!)

Herb, 15-30 cm. tall, arising from a densely hairy cylindrical to spherical tuber 0-5-4-7 cm. long, 0-5-1-3 cm. wide. Leaves 2, opposite, very shortly petiolate, sheathing at the base, ovate, 3-2-3-9 cm. long, 2-2-4 cm. wide, acute or apiculate, cordate or rounded-truncate at the base above the sheath. Raceme 2-4-flowered; flowers pink or purplish; bracts leaf-like, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 0-8-1-7 cm. long, 0-2-1 cm. wide, acuminate. Intermediate sepal inflexed at the apex, united to the claw of the petals to form a curved spur with hooded open end 0-8-1-2 cm. long; lateral sepals obliquely obovate, 9 mm. long, 5-7-5 mm. wide, apiculate, free, bearing sacs 2-2-5 mm. long. Petals 3-5 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, wdth a narrow claw, the free part with 1 blunt and 2 pointed lobes. Lip with narrow linear curved claw 0-9-1 -3 cm. long with a sharply reflexed triangular-oblong pilose limb 1 mm. long with incurved subobtuse apex; appendage 4-5 mm. long, deeply 2-lobed, exserted, the lobes slightly dilated above, curved and narrowed at the apex, bearing a reflexed linear tooth 2-3 mm. long so that apex of each lobe appears to be bifurcate with one curved and one straight lobe. Fig. 39/11, p. 220.

Tanganyika. Kilimanjaro, S. slope between Umbwe R. and Weru Weru R., Aug. 1932, Oreenway 3034! & above Marangu, July 1949, J. G. Williams in Bally 7376!; Uluguru Mts., Apr. 1933, Sclilieben 3860!

Distr. T2, 6; not known elsewhere

Hab. In moss and humus or shallow soil over rocks on evergreen forest floors; 1350- 2250 m.