# New Disa Orchid discovered in South Africa



## Gideon (Dec 21, 2006)

New orchid discovered in SA
21/12/2006 08:28 - (SA) 

Johannesburg - A new species of orchid with beetroot-red leaves and a white flower has been discovered growing on a high mountain peak in South Africa, conservation officials said on Wednesday. 

A member of the genus Disa, which is part of the orchid family, the new flower was found near the summit of the 2 026-metre high Sneeuberg, the highest mountain in the Cape's Cederberg range. 

The new orchid was first spotted and photographed in 2004 by a field ranger for CapeNature, the conservation authority in the Western Cape province. 

But experts were unable to identify the flower and the mystery caused a buzz in local botany circles. 

Then in late November a team of botanists found about 40 of the orchids on the mountain. 

"It was an arduous climb, straight up," said Tessa Oliver, a botanist from the University of Western Cape....

Read more at
http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2047366,00.html


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## gore42 (Dec 21, 2006)

Cool... I can see all of the new hybrids now  Will quickly take the place of cardinalis or tripetaloides, then crossed back to uniflora, then crossed back to uniflora, then crossed back to uniflora...

- Matt


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## Heather (Dec 21, 2006)

How exciting!!


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## Barbara (Dec 21, 2006)

Excellant. Love to hear about new discoveries in the orchid realm.


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## SlipperFan (Dec 21, 2006)

"Beetroot red" leaves sounds intriguing.


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