BAMBOO ORCHID (Arundina Graminifolia / Arundina Bambusifolia)
Also known by various names such as arundina, phanyar and tapah weed, this orchid is a clumping herb consisting of leafy erect stems joined at the base, up to 2.5 m tall. Its alternate leaves are grass-like. Its large, 5 by 5 cm flowers develop in shoots at the tips of the stems. Its three sepals and two lateral petals are white to pink. The third petal is modified to a bright rosy purple lip. Its fruit is a cigar shaped capsule that splits to release the tiny wind-dispersed seeds when ripe. This orchid grows in open areas in low secondary forests, lalang grasslands, mountains and rocky places by streams. In Singapore, it is often found growing in wastelands too. It can be found in tropical and sub-tropical Asia from the Himalayas to Tahiti. It is pollinated by bees.