Family:  Orchidaceae
Scientific name:  Bulbophyllum medusae
Common name:  Medusa orchid

Native of:  Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Lesser Sunda Islands, and Sumatra

Greenhouse location:  Room P

Bulbophyllum medusae is an ephiphytic orchid with white to creamy yellow flower clusters resembling famed monster of Greek mythology Medusa's hairdo of snakes. Each cluster consists of about 15 flowers with long, thread-like lateral sepals arranged in a circle at the tip of the flowering stem. Some liken the bloom's appearance to fireworks. It has an unpleasant odor.

Each of the orchid's pseudobulbs produces a single, long leaf and a creeping rhizome (modified plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes). The rhizome aids the plant as it grows on tree trunks and main branches in lowland forests.