This was interesting

I saw this recently at the Chanticleer Garden in PA; I am assuming it is a palm and would love to know what kind it is.

Very much doubt it's a palm.

Thanks, I'll try the plant ID forum and see if anyone has any ideas.

It's an attractive plant. Would be interesting to know what it is. Most likely someone would be growing it.

I contacted the garden where I saw it and it is not a palm at all, not even close, it is a Cypripedium japonicum.

That's interesting. At first sight I thought those leaves were similar to some of the Nervilia orchids, but none that I know have quite that same growth pattern. It'd be a nice one to grow but unfortunately for me it requires a much colder climate. I'll have to stay with the Nervilias.

Too warm here too, sigh, the flowers look so pretty and the leaves are beyond interesting. I'll have to look into the Nervilias you mentioned.

The unfortunate thing with Nervilias is they mostly have short lived flowers. But they grow in colonies so there's usually a number of flowers open during the season.

We used to have rainy seasons but that seems to be a thing of the past. Right now I would welcome a little sprinkle or two.

Nervilias are a ground orchid and go dormant during the dry season (winter). Mine grow (naturally) along my creek, they frequently get flooded but a few days later the ground's just wet. The best place I've seen them growing is in Darwin at Holmes Jungle (a nature reserve) where they grow on the edge of the monsoon forest above the lower flood levels. They carpet the ground and hence the numerous short lived flowers. There's a photo on this link

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=6149342

How beautiful!