Disa rhodantha spurs aiming high

In the photo the cylindrical spurs upon the median sepals of the Disa rhodantha flowers curve erectly above the hood, like wisps of smoke in the absence of wind. Their tips may sometimes appear less ambitious and curve down. These spurs vary in length from 7 mm to 17 mm, tapering slightly in their lower parts.

With its spur so conspicuously upwardly inclined, the flower tends to nod or angles down.

The flowers of D. rhodantha are usually faintly fragrant. Flowering happens in summer, sometimes a little earlier (Pooley, 1998; www.orchidspecies.com).