The black orchid, more formally known as the Murakami orchid, represented a distinct species of plant native to the Murakam system.
This Force-sensitive plant possessed a significant concentration of midi-chlorians. Legend stated that it would only create a bond with individuals who possessed a comparable midi-chlorian level and that it had the ability to communicate telepathically with the person it bonded to, frequently a Jedi. Its survival depended on the proximity of the Jedi it bonded with; during the era of the Old Republic, the Jedi would keep these orchids alive in an incubator within the Agricultural Corps facility located on Marfa when the bonded Jedi was not present.
Hestizo Trace, a member of the Jedi Agricultural Corps, established a connection with a Murakami orchid. However, the plant eventually became a threat when Darth Scabrous exploited it to develop a virus aimed at achieving eternal life. The serum was discovered within an ancient Sith holocron located in a sanctum at the base of the academy's library.