Common Name: Foxtail Orchid
Scientific Name: Rhynchostylis retusa
Family: Orchidaceae
Nepali Name: Ghode Gaabhaa, Thur ( घोडे गाभा, थुर )
Size: 20-42 cm tall, 60 cm (flower Spike)
Location: Bhimdhunga, Nepal

Found in Nepal between elevations of 1280-1615 m, the Foxtail Orchid (Rhynchostylis retusa) is an epiphytic orchid that lives non-parasitically upon tree trunks in subtropical forested zones.

It boasts long, pendulous racemes densely packed with small white flowers speckled with pink or purple, hanging like a fox’s tail in bloom. Its leathery leaves are curved and deeply grooved, adapted to capturing moisture and tolerating filtered light under the forest canopy.

This species prefers native host trees with rough, water-retaining bark and thrives in semi-shaded environments where humidity is relatively high and temperature fluctuates moderately through the seasons.

Please feel free to comment below if the above species has been misidentified.

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