Disa stairsii
| Disa stairsii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Genus: | Disa |
| Species: | D. stairsii |
| Binomial name | |
| Disa stairsii | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Disa bakeri Rolfe | |
Disa stairsii (Rwenzori mountain orchid) is a species of Disa of the family Orchidaceae that can be found growing with the giant heathers on the Rwenzori Mountains of mountains in East Tropical Africa as well as in the Congo in West-Central Tropical Africa.[3][4] It was first collected by Lieutenant Stairs in 1889, during the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, whilst he was carrying out the first European exploration of the Rwenzori Mountains.[5]
Disa stairsii is cardinal red, distinct from the other foliage by its single spur which is borne on the top of its flower and is generally growing in moss between the altitudes of 2,800–3,400 meters (9,200–11,200 feet).[4] It is common in the heath belt of the Ruwenzori Range. On Kilimanjaro D. stairsii also grows among the heath along with Erica arborea and Erica rossi, is "small pink flowered" and is hidden by clumps of grasses along with the white flowered Anemone thomsonii.[6]
The flower featured on the 50 centimes stamp in the 1976 series of Rwanda orchid stamps.[7]
References
- ↑ International Organization for Plant Information (IOPI). "Plant Name Details". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ↑ "Disa stairsii Kraenzl. record n° 43399". African Plants Database. South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and Tela Botanica. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Disa stairsii Kraenzl". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- 1 2 H. Peter Linder and Berit Gehrke (2 March 2006). "Common plants of the Rwenzori, particularly the upper zones" (PDF). Institute for Systematic Botany, University of Zurich. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-30. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ↑ Kraenzlin, F. W. L. (31 December 1892). "New or Noteworthy Plants". Gardeners' Chronicle. series 3, 12: 728. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
- ↑ Stewart, Alex; Alexander Stewart (2004). "Climate". Kilimanjaro: A Trekker's Guide. Cicerone Press Limited. ISBN 1-85284-413-2. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ↑ "Stamp catalog : Stamp › Rwenzori Mountain Orchid (Disa stairsii)". Retrieved 18 April 2026.
External links
- UniProt. "Species Disa stairsii". Retrieved 2008-05-07.
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Disa stairsii". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.