NAPLES — The poachers weren’t intimidated by heat, lightning, mosquitos, venomous snakes, alligators or losing their way in the South Florida swamps. They were there to steal the ghost orchid, a plant so elusive it’s likened to an Everglades apparition.

The ghost, native to only Florida and Cuba, is a leafless web of roots splayed on the trunks of native trees. It’s also taxing to find, but the orchid’s ribbon-like white bloom makes the dangerous trek well worth it — especially for those drawn to rarity.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated there are less than 1,000 ghost orchids left in the United States. The agency proposed the ghost for listing under the Endangered Species Act earlier this year, a potential addition to its state protected status.

The flower was the subject of

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