Frondaria caulescens

A one-of-a-kind orchid

Frondaria caulescens

Photo by Ecuagenera.com 

While many genera in the orchid family have hundreds, or even thousands of species, the genus Frondaria (Latin for “a crown of leaves”) has just one—and you’d have to travel to the mountainous forests of the Andes to see it. Even then you’d have to look closely—it’s a tiny plant with even more minuscule flowers.