Disa hircicornis
Rchb. f.
Goat's horn disa
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Berit Gehrke, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Berit Gehrke
Summary
Source: WikipediaDisa hircicornis is a perennial plant and geophyte belonging to the genus Disa. In South Africa, the species occurs in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In Africa, the plant occurs in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Description
An orchid that grows in the soil. It grows 85 cm high. It has small fleshy tubers. These are 1.5 cm long by 0.8 cm wide. There are often 2 leaves on non flowering shoots and these are narrow and 30 cm long. They are folded along their length. The leaves on the flowering shoots are sword shaped and 5-20 cm long. They are red at the base. The flowering stalk is 18 cm long. The flowers are pink, brown, red or purple.
Edible Uses
The tubers and roots are edible.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in damp grassy places. It usually grows between 1,500-1,800 m above sea level but can be up to 2,700 m.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Synonyms
References (2)
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4. Kew.
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
