Aspasia epidendroides

Native from Central America to Colombia, this perennial orchid grows on tree trunks and lower branches in humid forests and reaches about 1 foot tall. Its flattened pseudobulbs are spaced along a creeping stem. Fragrant flowers open in succession, with greenish-brown sepals and a broad white lip marked with lavender and yellow ridges. It can survive in deep shade in the forest understory. In Florida, male orchid bees have been observed collecting fragrance from the outer surfaces of its flowers without entering them. Photographed in Panama.