Nervilia aragoana

A peculiar terrestrial orchid,surviving by means of a o.8 in/2 -cm -tall underground pseudobulb in the under brush of seasonally drier forests . During the growth of the inflorescence that bears 2-3 flowers ,the plant has to do with out its single egg-shaped or heart -shaped leaf with a showy brown -and -purple marking -the leaf does not develop until after the flowers fade. The flowers are about 1 in/ 2.5 cm across;their tepals are greenish yellow with lengthwise brown stripes of varying intensity . The lip is a shade lighter . The plant should be grown in a humic substrate in flowerpots. During growth ,the plant needs moisture semi -shade and ample warmth , while requiring absolute dryness and reduced temperatures in the winter. It blooms between January and April and comes from the Malayan Peninsula,nothern Thailand , Laos and Burma.