The decades-long international hunt for a rare orchid

This is the story of a single flower that took Europe and America by storm. The exceptionally rare orchid, dubbed 'Cattleya labiata', had a striking purple and crimson bloom, and quickly became one of the most coveted flowers in the world. But where did it come from? Sarah Rilston traces the tale of the hunt to find out, highlighting the fragile ecologies on which both humans and plants depended.