Though undeniably beautiful, orchids can also be useful. Vanilla, salep (flour), and glue can be produced from orchids, as can fiber for baskets and handicrafts. Many orchids are epiphytes—plants that grow by obtaining nutrients and moisture from the air—and are often found living in trees. National Geographic grantee Yumin Shui searched for wild orchids and other plants in the boundary regions between China and Vietnam. He took this photograph showing the flower lips of a wild specimen. In just one square kilometer (0.4 square miles) he recorded hundreds of species of plants, revealing the botanical richness of the region. (Esmeralda bella)
