Calanthe tankervilleae (Phaius tankervilleae)

Native from tropical and subtropical Asia to the South Pacific, this perennial terrestrial orchid grows in soil and develops water-storing pseudobulbs. Its large, strongly pleated leaves can reach about 3 feet tall. Upright flower stalks rise to about 4 feet and bear fragrant flowers with a hooded, three-lobed lip. In Florida, flowering occurs mainly in late winter and early spring, with individual flowers lasting about a month. New plants can develop from the nodes of spent flower stalks laid on a moist growing medium, and established clumps can also be divided. It has naturalized in Florida. Photographed in Floridablanca, Colombia.