Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Phalaenopsis Venus primary orchid cross

 Wootwoot! Finally, a rebloom on this lovely miniature Phalaenopsis Venus. The mother plant had strangled itself with a twisted stuck apical leaf but it produced a basal keiki and a spike keiki which is now in bloom for the second time!

Phal Venus (Phal lindenii x equestris) (2018) JB/TSOP-20


Bulbophyllum Elizabeth Ann "Buckleberry"

 After a three year wait, I was suddenly surprised by a developing spike at the beginning of September! What looked like a creepy Grinch hand has blossomed into something spectacular and almost eerie!

Bulbophyllum orchids often have an unpleasant scent and this one reminds me of mushrooms that have gone bad and slimy. Thank goodness one can only detect the scent up close! 

The lip is delicately balanced on a hinge-type structure and jiggles with the slightest breeze. Apparently, this is an adaptation to attract flies who then pollinate the blooms.