Disa alticola flowers

The twisted, resupinate flowers of Disa alticola are borne in short, densely flowered spikes. There may be from 10 to 35 flowers in an inflorescence. Flower diameter is about 8 mm.

The flowers are white with bluish purple spots along the margin of the hood, probably upon the two lateral petals positioned like a frame around the opening of the dorsal sepal, the main part of the hood. The hood is elongated erectly with rounded top, slightly keeled. A thick-based, conical spur with rounded tip angles slightly down from the base of the dorsal sepal.

The broad white lateral sepals angle outwards below the flower centre, oblong with small apical lobes and a blue-purple spot or two randomly positioned near their tips. Some reddish purple or maroon markings are visible on the column in the flower centres in picture.

The lip of the corolla is long, narrow and linear, curving down to a rounded tip at the base of the flower. The ovaries (and pedicels) behind the flowers are deep purple in the photo. The green and purple floral bracts subtending the ovaries are erect, tapering to acute tips and fairly long.

Flowering happens in early in summer (iSpot; Wikipedia; www.orchids.wikia.com).