Coelogyne asperata

Native from the Malay Archipelago through New Guinea to the Solomon and Santa Cruz islands, it is an orchid that grows on tree trunks and large branches, and sometimes on rocks or the ground. It inhabits lowland and mountain forests, including swamp forests and river margins. A creeping rhizome links rounded, shallowly grooved swollen stems called pseudobulbs, each bearing two long, lance-shaped leaves. Curving flowering stems carry six to thirty-five fragrant flowers that open together. The sepals and petals range from creamy yellow to nearly white or pale green. The white to pale green lip has brown veins and two raised bands of orange-brown, toothlike projections. Flowering generally occurs once or twice a year at a given locality. Photographed in Peru.