Laelia weberbaueriana

Native from Peru to Bolivia, this epiphytic orchid grows on trees in wet tropical habitats and can reach about 3 feet tall. Its elongated, cylindrical pseudobulbs each carry two thick, leathery leaves up to about 10 inches long. The pseudobulbs store water between periods of active growth. A flowering stalk, which can reach about 30 inches long, rises from the top of a pseudobulb and carries a dense cluster of flowers above the foliage. Photographed in Peru.