2a prolific deciduous terrestrial, 1-2 seasonal leaves appear in spring from an annual tuber that produce a 4` to 10` spike carrying from two to ten 1` little pink blushed man flowers that are all lip, freely seeds and sprouts about .. everywhere. It is the oxalis of the orchid world.
2One of the most brightly colored of all Madagascan orchids, C. gibbosa has an extremely unusual flower shape and growth habit to match its fascinating color pattern; deciduous orchid that often dies back to a tuberous roots during the winter months, which in spring produces large, oblong, and strappy leaf that is usually spotted purple on immature growths; 12`spikes appear when the plant is in active growth, and bear heads of 5-20, 1-1/2` blooms that are orange sherbet colored with or without purple spots and a quadrilobed lip that fades to cream with a bright lilac spot in the center; lateral sepals have flared tips that sometimes also fade to a creamy color and dorsal sepals and petals form a hood that hides the column; totally awesome. *Plants are completely devoid of foliage typically from September through March, strict winter dry rest is not needed for this species