Ornithochilus difformis

Outside of the flowering period ,this rarely cultivated plant is indistinguishable from Phalaenopsis orchids . Its tiny (0.6 in / 1.5 cm across)flowers are, nevertheless,of an absolutely different and interesting appearance . The base of the lip is a foothold for a short and massive wine-red spur; the lip is marked by a notable radial forking . A large number of flowers grow on an overhanging spike. Grow the species epiphytically on a moss -covered support ,providing fairly humid conditions and semi-shade . It blooms between May and June and comes from the Himalayas ,Burma ,Thailand,Laos and Vietnam .