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This species is a so-called "slipper orchid," a nod to the resemblance
of its large, hollow lip to a slipper. The bulbous lip is a useful structure for collecting pollen
from visiting bees. Phragmepedium caudatum occurs from Colombia south to
Bolivia (though not in Ecuador) and has the unusual characteristic of always
opening all six of its blossoms simultaneously when it blooms.
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