The genus Disperis (Orchidaceae) in Madagascar, the Comores, the Mascarenes and the Seychelles Author Croix, Isobyl la Author Bosser, Jean Author Cribb, Phillip J. text Adansonia 2002 3 24 1 55 87 journal article http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5180356 1639-4798 5180356 8. Disperis hildebrandtii Rchb. f. Otia Bot. Hamb: 73 (1881) ; Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 39: 449 (1881) ; Schlechter, Bull. Herb. Boiss. 6: 929 (1898); Feddes Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 33: 108 (1925) ; H. Perrier in Humbert H . (ed.) , Fl. Madag. , 49 e fam., Orchidées 1: 184, (1939); Du Puy et al., Orch. Madag. : 134 (1999) . — Type : Hildebrandt 3158, Madagascar , Lokobé , Nosy-Bé (holo-, W ; iso-, BM , K !, P !) . Slender terrestrial herb 7-25 cm tall. Tubers c. 10-20 × 5-10 mm , ovoid. Leaves 1-3, alternate, in upper half of stem, 1.5-7 × 0.5-2 cm , lanceolate, acute, clasping the stem at the base. Inflorescence 1-3(-6)-flowered; bracts leafy, 14- 40 × 3-10 mm . Flowers erect or suberect, pale rose in colour; pedicel and ovary 4-9 mm long. Dorsal sepal 8-10 × 1 mm , linear; lateral sepals 8- 10 × 3-6 mm , joined in the basal half, semiovate, each with a deep spur near the middle. Petals 8-11 × 3-5 mm , adnate to the dorsal sepal and forming a broad, concave hood about 10 mm tall and 12 mm wide; the apex of the petals slightly overtops the dorsal sepal. Lip joined to the column at base, narrowly cylindrical above that and then enlarged, bearing at the top a 3-lobed appendage, the 2 lateral lobes short, 1.5- 2 mm long, thick, erect but slightly curved, densely covered with a short pubescence of papillose hairs, the mid-lobe 5 mm long, pendent, arched, tongue-shaped, without a stalk to the side lobes, with a short pubescence of small paipillose hairs on the sides and beneath, and carrying on the upper surface longer dense calvate-vesicular hairs. Rostellum 2.2 × 1.5 mm , with arms 1.7 mm long, spathulate at the tip. — Figs. 6C , 7A. DISTRIBUTION. — Madagascar ; Comores . HABITAT. — Quite frequent in the understorey of humid to semi-dry woodland and forest in the N-NE and Centre of Madagascar and on Mayotte , on laterite soils derived from gneiss or from basalt; 90-1400 m . MATERIAL STUDIED. — MADAGASCAR : Cremers 1438, road to Lakato , near Périnet , 16 Feb. 1971 ( P !) ; Decary 15290, Ankazomanga , Vakinankaratra , 6 Dec. 1939 ( K !, P !) ; Hildebrandt 3158, Nosy-Bé, Lokobé Mt. , Sep. 1879 ( K !, P !, W !) ; Humbert 23199, valley of Androranga , tributary of Bemarivo ( NE ) , between Doany and Anketsahely , 400-700 m , 10-12 Feb. 1949 ( P !) ; Humbert 28201 , ibid., Ravine Beamalonakely , 300-400 m , 10 Dec. 1949 ( P !) ; Humbert & Capuron 24226bis , valley of Andalangy , tributary of the Androranga , basin of the Bemarivo of the NE , 700- 800 m , 12-14 Nov. 1950 ( P !) ; Humbert & Capuron 25337, Mts. to the N of Mangindrano ( High Maevarano ), towards the summits of the Ambohimirahavavy , valley of Ambatohafo , 1200 m , 19 Jan.-12 Feb. 1951 ( P !) ; Humbert 32144 , near Diego-Suarez , Ambre forest , 1000 m , 23 Dec. 1959 – 18 Jan. 1960 ( K !, P !, TAN !) ; Perrier de la Bâthie 15193 , Sambizano forests, Oct. 1922 ( P !) ; Perrier de la Bâthie 15708 , Mt. Tsarantanana , 1000-1400 m , Jan. 1923 ( P !) ; Seyrig 485 , Belambo forest , N of Ampandrandava , 1000 m , Jan. 1943 ( P !) . — COMORES : Labat & Pascal 2900, Mayotte , massif of Benara , N slope in climbing on the Lima Tchaourembo , 350 m , 8 Dec. 1996 ( P !) ; Labat et al. 3284, Mayotte , Chiconi , Sohoa Forest Res. , 90 m , 24 Nov. 2000 ( G !, K !, Mayotte , P !) ; Tinguy 977, 1035, Mayotte , Choungi , 6 Oct. 1989 ( P !) ; Tinguy 1056 , Mayotte , 2 Nov. 1989 ( P !) . The flowers are white, lined or striped with pale rose-pink or rose-purple. LABAT provides more details of specimens from Mayotte which have white sepals touched with rose, a green spur, the rest white with two rose-violet bands, a lip with two rose lateral lobes and a white hairy terminal appendage. The vesicular hairs of the lip appendage are very characteristic.