Paphiopedilum wardii

Native to southwestern Yunnan, China, and Myanmar, this perennial terrestrial slipper orchid forms clustered fans of mottled foliage. A hairy stalk usually bears one large flower, with a green-veined upper sepal, spotted petals, and an inflated pouch. Pale yellow-green forms lack the usual dark pigmentation and are grown as album forms. The species honors the plant explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward and is endangered in the wild. Photographed in Florida.