(WJW) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fears if action isn't taken, the rare ghost orchid could soon be extinct.

The FWS is now proposing to list the swamp-dwelling plant as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

According to experts, the ghost orchid is a flowering plant that is only in Florida and western Cuba. It is described as a leafless plant that attaches itself by its roots high up on trees, making its white blossoms appear to hover in the air and look ghost-like.

"It is one of the most famous flowers in Florida, but its population has declined to fewer than 1,000 plants in the United States. Less than half of those are mature enough to reproduce," warned the FWS in a press release. • Credit: Mark Danaher/USFWS • Credit: Danaher, Mark/USFWS • Credit: M

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