Encyclia vespa

Native to southeastern Brazil, from southern Rio de Janeiro to northern São Paulo, this orchid commonly grows on larger tree branches and trunks in mountain forests. Swollen pseudobulbs support two or three leaves and upright flowering stems. Numerous small, waxy flowers are fragrant and have the lip positioned uppermost. Flowering is most frequent in spring. Plants may also occur on grassy or rocky slopes where their roots grow among leaf litter. Photographed in Colombia.