Disa stachyoides flowers

The pale purple upper surfaces of the Disa stachyoides corollas in picture are about horizontal on their angled ovaries that arise from the central stalk of the inflorescence. The lateral sepals droop from the front of each flower, flanking the protruding white lips ending in bluish tips.

In design, the flower stalk is well used in this inflorescence for presenting many open flowers to pollinators efficiently, also elegantly. Maybe the same attraction aimed at pollinators in evolution is vestigially present in humans too. But don’t start sending birthday cards to the local insect relatives.

These plants thrive in their grassy veld home after summer rain. The flowering can be profuse from late spring to after midsummer (Pooley, 1998; Onderstall, 1984; Trauseld, 1969; iNaturalist).