Disa erubescens Rendle

A terrestrial herb 3–9 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers ellipsoid, ovoid or almost globose, 1.5–3 cm. long, 8–15 mm. in diameter, — hairy.. Roots slender, flexuous, pubescent.. Sterile stems up to 12 cm. long, with several red-spotted overlapping sheaths in the lower part and 1–3 leaves at the apex; leaves linear or lanceolate-linear, acute, up to 37 cm. long, 0.5–2 cm. broad.. Flowering stems erect, slender to rather stout, almost entirely covered by ± adpressed sheathing leaves, terete; leaves 9–16, usually 11–13; lowermost 2–3 very short, sheath-like, spotted with red, remainder lanceolate, acute, the largest 3.5–9 cm. long, 1–1.5 cm. broad, the uppermost similar to the bracts.. Inflorescence up to 19 cm. long, 4–7.5 cm. in diameter, loosely or rather densely 2–12-flowered.. Bracts similar to the upper leaves but longer acuminate, 2.5–5.5 cm. long, shorter than the flowers.. Flowers suberect, deep orange, scarlet or deep red with darker spots, apices of petals orange or yellow with reddish spots; pedicel with ovary straight, 1.7–2.5 cm. long, the pedicel very short.. Dorsal sepal erect or ± incurved, with a long narrow lower part ±1.5 cm. long and an elliptical or ovate blade which is spurred in the middle, altogether 2–3 cm. long, the blade 8–14 mm. broad, the spur projecting backwards or upcurved, cylindrical, 8–14 mm. long; laterals spreading upwards, obliquely oblong, obtuse, ± 2 cm. long, 6–9 mm. broad.. Petals erect, the lower part very obliquely ovate, slightly cordate at the base, 7–11 mm. long and nearly as broad, the upper part drawn out into a long linear or subspathulate curved-forward appendage, total length of petal 1.8–2.4 cm.. Lip pendulous or curving forwards, narrowly linear, 1–1.5 cm. long, scarcely 1 mm. broad.. Anther erect, 5–7 mm. high, shortly stalked.. Stigma orbicular or elliptical, 3–5 mm. in diameter.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in upland poorly drained pastures. It grows between 1,800-2,400 m above sea level.