Taro orchid
Nervilia fordii
Family: Orchidaceae
What it is like
An orchid that grows in the soil. It needs to be dormant each year. The rhizome is slender and 3-4 cm long. This ends with a tuber. The tuber is white and fleshy and 5-20 mm across. The leaves occur singly on the end of a short stem. It is round or heart shaped and 5-10 cm long by 8-12 cm wide. The flowers are greenish. There are 2-4 flowers on a leafless stalk 15-30 cm high.
The plant is at risk of extinction due to over harvesting.
Where it is found
It is a subtropical plant. It grows in southern China and Thailand. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Indochina, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The plant is used for tea or cooked with pork for broth.
Edible parts
Plant, rhizome, root
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Qing tian kui