Disperis concinna flowers

Disperis concinna bears one to four flowers in a lax spike. Flower colour is white, yellowish or various shades of pink or purple. Green spots are sometimes seen inside the flowers. The flowers are small, about 1 cm wide.

Concinnus means neat, pretty or elegant in Latin. The dorsal sepal of each flower forms a rounded hood, about 3 mm deep. The upturned edge of this helmet-shaped or galeate hood conforms to some shapes seen in museum artifacts of ancient military headgear. The pair of lateral petals are carried closely to the dorsal sepal margins.

The lateral sepals spread to tapering, curving tips. The conical, spur-like pouch positioned roughly in the centre of each lateral sepal is clear to see. These pouches become about 2 mm long, doing nothing as far as pollination is concerned. They had merely served earlier during the budding phase by covering the rostellum arms protruding from the column.

The ridged green ovaries are covered on the outside by lance-shaped floral bracts, also green. Flowering happens from midsummer to early autumn (Pooley, 1998; www.zimbabweflora.co.zw).