Disperis is a genus of 74 species distributed in tropical and southern Africa, Madagascar, Mascarenes, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Ryukyu Islands, China, Taiwan, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Philippines, New Guinea, and Carolines.
In the Mascarenes, they are among the most diverse angiosperm groups, analogous to such (unrelated) plants as the aeoniums on the Canary Islands or the silversword alliance of the Hawaiian Islands.