Disperis anthoceros

Summerhayes, V. B., 1968, Orchidaceae (Part 1) part., Flora of Tropical East Africa 1 (1) : 229-230

14. D. anthoceros Reichb .f.,

Otia Bot. Hamburg. 2: 103 (18S1); Schltr. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 6: 951 (1898); Rolfe in F.T.A. 7: 292 (1898) & in FI. Cap. 5(3): 311 (1913); Pole-Evans in FI. PL S. Afr., t. 327 (1929); Tweedie in Journ. E.A. Nat. Hist. Hoc. 24: 12 (1964); Summerh. in F.W.T.A., ed. 2., 3: 205 (1968). Type: Ethiopia, Tigre/Begemedir, Schimper 1210 (W, syn.!) & 1295 (W, syn.!, BM, K, isosyn.!)

Herb, 8-30 cm. tall, arising from a hairy ovoid-oblong tuber 0-7-2-3 cm. long, 0-6-1-2 cm. wide. Leaves 2, opposite, subsessile, sheathing at the base, ovate, 1-3-3-8 cm. long, 1-3-4 cm. wide, subacute or apiculate, truncate or cordate above the sheath, purplish beneath. Racemes 1-3-flowered; flowers white, tinged greenish or partly pale pinkish, sometimes spotted; bracts leaf-like, ovate, 0-6-1-6 cm. long, 0-5-1-2 cm. wide, subacute to acuminate. Intermediate sepal practically reduced to a slender elongate spur 1-2-2 cm. long, mostly greenish, the petals united to the margins; lateral sepals obliquely obovate, 0-65-1-5 cm. long, 0-3-1 cm. wide, united to about the middle, often purple-spotted, bearing conical sacs 1-1-5 mm. long. Petals falcate , oblong, broadly rounded at the apex, auriculate at the base, ribbed inside. Lip with elongate linear claw 0-8-1-5 cm. long not reaching apex of spur, recurved at apex, the limb 1-1-5 mm. long, the appendages reduced to 2 fimbriate lobules up to 1-5 mm. long. var. anthoceros

Intermediate sepal and petals together 1-2-1-6 cm. long; lateral sepals 0-65-1 cm. long, 3-6 mm. wide. Fig. 39/14, p. 220.

Uganda. Karamoja District: Napak, June 1950, Eggeling 5949!; Kigezi District: Sabinio Volcano, Dec. 1930, B. D. Burtt 2979! & Eggeling 1115!

Kenya. Trans-Nzoia District: S. Elgon, June 1941, Carroll in Tweedie 569! & Kitale, June 1950, Wiltshire 7!; Londiani, July 1957, Smart G24!

Tanganyika. Ufipa District: Kanda Hills, escarpment road to Sumbawanga, Mar. 1959, Richards 11123!; Njombe District: Ndumbi Forest, Feb. 1954, Paulo 252! & Upper Ruhudje, Lupembe area, Mar. 1931, Schlieben 448! & 673!

Distr. Ul-3; K3, 5, 1 6; T4, 7; N. Nigeria, Congo and Sudan Republics, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Rhodesia and South Africa (Transvaal and Natal)

Hab. On ground-litter in evergreen- and bamboo-forest, also in secondary forest; 1800-2700 m.

Syn. D. hamadryas Schltr . in Ann. Transv. Mua. 10: 252 (1924). Types: South Africa, Transvaal, Houtbosohberg, Schlechter 4469 & Barberton, Rimers Creek, Culver 46 & Natal, Inanda, J. M. Wood 841 & Tugela R., J. M. Wood 4545! (all B, syn., K, isosyn.!)