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Dry powder rhizone is mixed with milk is used as an aphrodisiac and tonic.
Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan
It is found growing in deep shade on evergreen broad-leaved forest floor at altitudes of 1800-2500 m asl.
Also known as the broad-leaved calanthe. Unlike many other orchids, it thrives in shady environments.
It is an evergreen perennial herb growing 40-65 cm tall.
It has a pseudobulb (swollen underground stem) and doesn't form a true bulb.
Leaves many, elliptic-lance-shaped, measuring 20-30 cm long.
The plant produces numerous flowers on a stout stem that extends beyond the length of the leaves. Each flower is about 3 cm across, with a long, slender, horizontal spur. The flowers can be pale pink, lilac, or white, and they are sweet-scented. The lip is three-lobed, with the lateral lobes being broadly obovate and the mid-lobe broadly wedge-shaped, featuring three small orange ridges near the base. The sepals and petals are lance-shaped and pointed, enlarging when in fruit.
It produces a capsule, which is typically green when young and turns brown as it matures. It contains numerous tiny seeds.
Flowering: March-April