MASDEVALLIA ORCHID

Of the thousands of orchids found in cloud forests, one of the most unusual genera is Masdevallia, with its distinctive tricornered flowe's sporting "tails" at the sepal tips. One of the larger species, found in the Andes of Peru, Masclevattia veitchiana is rumo'ed to have been cultivated by the Incas, with sizzling orange flowers covered in tiny purple hairs, giving it an iridescent shimmer. Masdevallias require cool temperatures and aren't for beginners, but once you've got the knack, they can be rewarding greenhouse or terrariums plants.