Disa uniflora

Disa uniflora, commonly known as the red disa, is a famous Western Cape and South African flower that has become a symbol to many. The plant is an erect perennial growing several stems to heights around 60 cm. It is evergreen, while many South African disas, especially those from the drier areas are seasonally deciduous. The narrowly lance-shaped leaves cluster near the base, tapering to acutely pointed tips and curving down to their tips. 

One or more carmine red, sometimes orange or even yellow flowers, up to 12 cm in diameter are grown. The pale hooded dorsal sepal is streaked with bright red lines that meander vertically down the inside surface. The more uniformly coloured outer surface is visible from the front on the lower margins, where the hood curves inwards. The hood has a wedge-shaped spur at its back. The iconic triangular flower shape is completed by the two red lateral petals, rounded in characteristic shape to tips that are not much accentuated. Bloomtime is before midsummer to early autumn.

The species is endemic to the Western Cape, occurring from the Cederberg to Betty's Bay and the Riviersonderend Mountains.

The habitat is moist montane regions such as seeps and damp cliffs, often seen near stream banks and waterfalls. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

Famous among many who may not regard flowers much, this is the answer of Western Province Rugby to the Barberton daisy of Northern Transvaal. The flower is also the emblem of the Mountain Club of South Africa, an organisation with members rewarded in glimpses of rare flowers for their achievements in walking far in the mountains (Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).