Bat Flower

The bat flower is a shade-loving perennial native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, named for its dark purple-black blossoms whose broad, wing-like bracts resemble a bat in flight. Long, thread-like appendages called bracteoles hang below the flower, sometimes reaching over a foot in length. It grows in the deep shade of the forest understory and is now also cultivated as an unusual ornamental houseplant for its striking, almost eerie flowers.