Disa racemosa

Disa racemosa, commonly the vlei disa or rose disa, is a tuberous perennial growing a slender, often purple-brown stem to heights around 1 m.

The species distribution of this comparatively common Disa is widespread in the Western Cape from the Cape Peninsula northwards to the Gifberg and eastwards coastally in the Eastern Cape as far as Makhanda (Grahamstown).

The habitat is sandstone seeps in fynbos, peaty or marshy places and ravines, the plants often near water. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.

D. venosa is similar and overlaps in distribution but has a narrower dorsal sepal and is generally a smaller plant (Liltved and Johnson, 2012; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Gledhill, 1981; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).