The Flowering of the Strange Orchid

Herbert George Wells (1866–1946) was a prolific English writer of science fiction stories and novels, and is frequently credited as being the father of science fiction.

The Flowering of the Strange Orchid is a creepy horror story about an orchid collector who buys an unknown species from the Andaman Islands. The botanist who collected it had died in a mangrove swamp in the process—allegedly from an attack of jungle leeches. The collector is obsessed by his new acquisition and waits excitedly for it to sprout leaves and then flower. Finally the great day arrives—but there is something very strange about this flower—something very strange indeed.