Coelogyne nitida

Native from Nepal and the eastern Himalayas to southwestern China and parts of mainland Southeast Asia, it is an orchid that grows on trees in forests, including limestone areas. Its creeping rhizome bears closely grouped, deeply grooved swollen stems called pseudobulbs. Each supports two narrow, leathery leaves with pointed tips. Short flowering stems emerge before the new leaves develop and carry a few flowers. The flowers are white or slightly yellowish, with a three-lobed lip marked by two eye-shaped colored blotches. Three lengthwise ridges run along the lip, with the central ridge less conspicuous than the outer two. Photographed in Florida.