ghost orchid

Rampant poaching of the ghost orchid has it in serious peril, and estimates of their numbers in the wild range from 750 to 1,500.

The “ghost orchid” is the largest one ever discovered, and its blossoms draw international attention among the uber-enthusiastic world of orchid lovers.

The diplomatic thaw with Cuba has led to a new collaboration with scientists in that country to study the ghost orchid, one of the world's rarest flowers,…