Disa (plant)

Disa is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orchidaceae. It comprises about 182 species.[1][2] Most of the species are indigenous to tropical and southern Africa, with a few more in the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, and Réunion.[3] Disa bracteata is naturalised in Western Australia, where the local name is “African weed-orchid.”[4]

The genus Disa was named by P.J. Bergius in 1767.[5][6] It was named after Disa, the heroine of a Swedish legend.[7]

The plants grow from a fleshy tuberous root which is a source of maltodextrins which are used as a sugar substitute. Some species attain a height of 90 cm. The flowers are solitary or arranged in racemes. The petals and the lip are small. The flowers consist essentially of the sepals. The flowers range in color from very light to dark red.