Type of Flower
Disa orchid:
The orchid genus Disa consists of 169 terrestrial orchid species inward tropical in addition to southern Africa, Madagascar, Republic of Yemen in addition to RĂ©union.Disa bracteata is naturalized inward Western Australia, where the local mention is "African weed-orchid."
Some species of Disa are cultivated every bit ornamentals, most notably the species Disa uniflora, a spectacular cerise orchid also known every bit "The Pride of Table Mountain."
They were named afterwards Disa, the heroine of a Swedish legend, past times the botanist Carl Peter Thunberg.
The plants grow from a fleshy tuberous rootage which is mostly used for the artificial sweetener maltodextrins in addition to may attain a summit of ninety cm. The flowers grow inward racemes or solitary. The petals in addition to the lip are small. The lip is nonresupinate, in addition to thence the blossom appears upside downwardly compared to most orchids. The flowers consist essentially of the sepals. The flowers are colored inward the whole attain of red.
Each species of Disa unremarkably has a unmarried species every bit pollinator. The development inward Disa has gone a dissimilar way. Disa has used nearly all major pollinating insects. Furthermore, unrelated clades accept evolved to a greater extent than than i time into rather similar pollination systems.
- Flowers pollinated past times butterflies accept evolved twice, for event the pollination of Disa uniflora past times the Table mount Pride Butterfly Aeropetes tulbaghia (Satyrinae)
- Flowers amongst conspicuous deception, pollinated past times carpenter bees, accept evolved twice. - Long-spurred flowers, pollinated past times long-tongued flies, accept evolved 4 times.
- Night-scented flowers, pollinated past times moths, accept evolved 3 times.
This shows that a few pollinators inward a percentage tin forcefulness flora into diversification through repeated frontwards floral shifts.
Some Disa species are pollinated past times sunbirds in addition to accept pollinaria that stick to the feet of the sunbirds when the perch on the inflorescence. Once real rare inward cultivation, Disa uniflora is gaining inward popularity every bit a cutting flower. However, they are hard to grow, because of the needed mineralogical composition of the potting soil. Also, every bit most species grow inward real moisture environments, they tin live easily killed past times rot inward cultivation.
Disas require rather dissimilar weather than many other orchids. But run across their needs in addition to they grow fast! Forget everything yous know almost growing other orchids if yous desire to travel along these: inward particular, they are NOT epiphytes! Also, the conventional wisdom that most orchids decease from overwatering does non apply. One could reasonably consider Disas to live H2O plants, every bit they are sometimes flora completely submerged inward nature during for sure seasons, in addition to they to a greater extent than ofttimes than non grow correct side past times side to streams. You should H2O them at to the lowest degree daily, laid them inward buckets of water, or fifty-fifty make menstruum tables that travel along H2O flowing past times their roots constantly. They should never, e'er dry out out or they volition die.
You remove real pure H2O for these plants: they grow inward mount streams. So unless yous desire to instruct to the grocery shop to instruct distilled H2O every day, invest inward a contrary osmosis system. (Your other orchids volition appreciate it, too!) Monitor how good your contrary osmosis organization is working, changing its membrane every bit necessary; yous desire a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter to read less than 200-300 ppm, fifty-fifty afterwards fertilizer is added. They also similar an acidic pH; role peat moss or sphagnum moss inward the potting mix to attain this. (They ofttimes similar to live overpotted inward plastic meshing pots, too.)
Since these plants instruct in addition to thence much water, yous may sometimes remove to process bacterial in addition to fungal diseases. But whatever chemicals yous role remove to live at depression concentrations, because the plants require pure water!
Disas don't similar rootage temperatures higher upward 70°F (21C). Otherwise, they are pretty forgiving almost temperatures: they tin withstand (very) low-cal frost in addition to temperatures over 100°F (37C), on occasion! Higher humidity should aid them withstand high temperatures. Ideally, they should accept cool temperatures, below 70°F (21C) past times day, in addition to 10-15°F (6-8C) cooler past times night. Cool rootage temperatures are peculiarly important.
They similar brilliant light; straight sunlight is okay, if yous tin render it without overheating the roots.
They seem to aid a lot almost air circulation, in addition to thence role approximately fans!
After blooming, the flora volition decease back, but hopefully you'll already consider a publish of novel shoots growing out of the pot. You should pot these upward separately, every bit the one-time flora volition rot! Also repot them whatever fourth dimension they don't look to live doing well, every bit it gives yous a peril to cutting off whatever rotting roots.
References:
http://www.orchid-care-tips.com/disa-orchids.
html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disa_(orchid)