Jardinerong Sunog (the Burnt Gardener)

This is an orchid that blooms only once a year, but is capable of carrying a few hundred flowers at once that any wait is worth it. This orchid is Eulophia andamanensis , a terrestrial from grasslands and open areas in the Andamans Islands, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, northern Sumatra, and Malaysia. At the onset of the dry season the leaves are shed and the plant rests as dormant, above-ground pseudobulbs. During this period it is watered only to prevent total desiccation and kept in shade. Once the erect inflorescences start appearing, the linear leaves also begin developing. By this time the entire plant can be in flower for about three weeks, although it is not unusual that new inflorescences are produced as the older ones age, which extends the blooming period. Each flower is 2 cm across and odorless. The sepals and petals are a rather dull greenish-brown color, but the labellum is stark white with purple-brown veining, with attractive wavy margins edged greenish. I ...