"A new species... with beetroot-red leaves and a white flower has been discovered growing just below the summit of the highest peak in the Cederberg Mountains.
A member of the genus Disa, the orchid was first spotted and photographed in 2004 by a Cape Nature field ranger, Jonah Zimri, and two of his colleagues during a survey on the upper slopes of the 2 026m-high Sneeuberg. A follow-up trip discovered a population of 35 to 40 of the flowers above 1 800m, just below the summit. ... Cape Nature said the new species was currently being studied, and would be named Disa linderiana in honour of local botanist Peter Linder, who had produced many scientific papers on orchids in general and the genus Disa in particular. ... most species in this group of Disas flower only in the first year after fire, yet this area last burned in 1998. ... the leaves of this new species are almost beetroot red, a feature sometimes seen in Disas that flower soon after a fire" Cape Nature said." http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=294090 ********** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
