Calanthe – commonly abbreviated Cal. in horticulture – is a widespread genus of terrestrial orchids (family Orchidaceae) with some 200 species. The genus is divided into two groups – deciduous species and evergreen ones. Calanthe species are found in all tropical areas, but mostly concentrated in Southeast Asia; some species also range into subtropical and tropical lands such as China, India, Madagascar, Australia, Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and various islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. C. discolor is a well-known species found in Japan, the southern part of Korea and China; its vernacular name in Japanese, ebine, (海老根) means "shrimp-root" in reference to the shape of the plant's pseudobulbs and root system.