Disa engleriana Kraenzl.

A terrestrial herb 3–5.5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers ellipsoid to elongate-ovoid, 2–4 cm. long, 1–2 cm. in diameter, densely tomentose.. Roots slender, flexuous, ± pubescent.. Sterile stems up to 5 cm. long, covered by several overlapping red-spotted sheaths, 3–4-leaved at the apex; leaves linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute, tapering in the lower part, 9–22 cm. long, 1–2 cm. broad.. Flowering stems slender to rather stout, almost entirely covered by adpressed sheathing leaves, terete; leaves 9–14, the lowermost short, sheath-like, red-spotted or barred, the remainder lanceolate, acute, the largest 3.5–7 cm. long and 1–2 cm. broad, the uppermost similar to the bracts.. Inflorescence 6–21 cm. long, 4–6 cm. in diameter, rather loosely 5–27-flowered.. Bracts leafy, lanceolate, acuminate, 2–4.5 cm. long, about equalling or longer than the flowers.. Flowers suberect or curved outwards, pink to purple or magenta, often darker spotted, paler within, fragrant; pedicel with ovary slightly curved, 1.4–1.8 cm. long.. Dorsal sepal somewhat refiexed from the middle, orbicular or transversely elliptical with a distinct narrow lower part, altogether 1.5–2 cm. long and ± the same breadth or a little narrower, spurred below the middle, the spur pendent, cylindrical, 5–7 mm. long; laterals spreading upwards, obliquely oblong, obtuse, 1.5–2 cm. long, 7–10 mm. broad.. Petals 2-lobed at the middle, altogether 1–1.8 cm. long, the lower (front) lobe obliquely elliptical or ovate, rounded at the apex, 6–10 mm. long, 4–10 mm. broad, the upper (back) lobe obliquely ovate or narrowly ovate, subacute or acute, 4–8 mm. long and broad.. Lip pendent, linear, 8–17 mm. long, 1–2 mm. broad.. Anther erect, shortly stalked, 5–8 mm. high.. Stigma orbicular or elliptical, 2–3 mm. in diameter.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in fairly open woodland between 1,280-1,700 m above sea level.