Disa purpurascens
Disa purpurascens is a species of orchid found in South Africa. It is also known as the early blue disa or the '''bloumoederkappie.'''
Description
Plants are tall, growing from a tuber with a length of about and a diameter of about. About 10 narrow, rigid leaves, about half as tall as the plant, grow from a basal rosette. The base of the plant is often surrounded by a sheath of old leaf fibers.This species flowers in October and November, producing an inflorescence of 1–7 sweetly scented flowers. Each flower has a blue hood and side wings, with a dark purple lip below. Yellow-green petals are found at the back of the hood. While the flowers look similar to those of Disa graminifolia, they differ in having an upcurved lip margin and a conical spur. They also flower at different times of the year.
While there is generally very little variation between plants, some white flowers have been observed. This has been suggested to be a recessive condition.