Sometimes the alien is already among us!
Campylocentrum, Chiloschista, Dendrophylax, Microcoelia, Praecoxanthus, Taeniophyllum, and Taeniorrhiza are all primarily leafless genera of orchids: epiphytic (growing on trees or other plants) or lithophytic (growing on rocks) plants that often have either no or minimal leaves, instead relying on photosynthetic roots and flower spikes to get all the necessary business done. Dendrophylax native geographic ranges even include south Florida, so there are native leafless orchids in the US (extending into Central America and the Caribbean)! The rest are spread across Africa, Asia, and Australia. A couple other genera I’ve not included in the above list also include occasional leafless lineages.
Here’s one of many images of what one of these orchids looks like while in bloom!
Some folks keep one or multiple of these species in their orchid and/or houseplant collections. I can’t remember if I’ve ever come across one for sale at a society event; if I have, it didn’t speak to me at that time. I’ll keep my mind open if I cross paths with one of these rare sale specimens in the future!
