Disperis tysonii flower

A Disperis tysonii flower has a tall (8 mm) conical hood ending in a broad, blunt tip, inclined backwards. It flares open widely at the mouth, but narrows abruptly at the front into a long, acutely pointed tip, the two lateral petals cohering at its sides.

The obovate lateral sepals attenuate to narrowly pointed tips and spread widely to positions angled behind (and below) the flower centre. They become from 4 mm to 7 mm long.

In the photo the stalk of the flower spike and ovaries are a dark pinkish purple, the floral bracts next to the ovaries pale olive green. All floral parts here glisten in the sunlight, the surface cells swollen fairly large with moisture. The flowers are sweetly scented.

Flowering happens from midsummer to mid-autumn (Pooley, 1998; www.orchidspecies.com).