African Orchid
In Bud & Flowering
Adelaide Hills
African Orchid
Flower
 
                      
African Orchid (Disa bracteata)Class: Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Orchids
Order: Asparagus (Asparagales)
Family: Orchid (Orchidaceae)
Species: African Orchid (Disa bracteata)
This Photo:     Flower Head
Synonym: Monadenia Bracteata

General Species Information:
Found in the Adelaide Hills and possibly elsewhere
A very invasive weed that's difficult to eradicate. Partly because they ALWAYS have two tubers. The first one comes up with the plant fairly easily, the second not so much. The second bulb will continue the plants life if not removed. Once the flower head has seeded it's very difficult to extract the plant without spreading seed further. The only way we know is to very genlty tilt the plant into a plastic bag (without any sudden movement) to catch anything that falls off and then dig it up. It's quite possible that cut & spray will work, but we haven't tried that.

Copyright © 2010-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 12-Nov-2010
This species is classed as If (Foreign Introduction)