Have you ever seen an orchid higher than a man? Possibly most people’s answer is “No”. A few days ago, Dr. Gao Jiangyun and his team were amazed at seeing a population of huge leafless orchid, Aphyllorchis caudate, in Menghai county, Xishuangbanna.

The population is composed of more than 100 individuals. The tallest individual reaches 1.97 meters, much higher than what is described in Flora of China. One individual has 60 flowered inflorescences, which is the most among the population they have found.

Aphyllorchis caudate is found in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australia in thick decaying humus in dense forests at elevations around 1050 to 1750 meters. It is a terrestrial orchid with no leaves.

Here are a few pictures of the amazing orchid.

A cluster of leafless orchid with 10 individuals

Measuring height of an individual

Flower of Aphyllorchis caudate

Dr. Gao Jiangyun and the orchid, the highest one much taller than him.

(Images by Liu Qiang and Gao Jiangyun)