# Phragmipedium caudatum - First blooming



## Djthomp28 (Mar 8, 2021)

I acquired this as a *small* seedling from Windy Hill about 3 years ago. This is the first time this single growth seedling is blooming. I am hoping this is an indication that it is easier to bloom than my other caudatum clone, which I have had for 5 years. It was a division of a blooming sized plant and has only attempted to bloom once, but the spike blasted... On the plus side, it grows well.


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## tomkalina (Mar 8, 2021)

Very nice. Not the easiest Phrag. species to bloom.


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## Vox (Mar 8, 2021)

Very beautiful. Three flowers is a good count for that plant size.


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## abax (Mar 8, 2021)

Congratulations!!! I'm still tweaking to see exactly what mine prefers...it's a mystery so far.


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## Duck Slipper (Mar 8, 2021)

Excellent. 3 beautiful flowers on a small plant.
Good job!


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## cpmaniac (Mar 8, 2021)

Looks terrific - well done!


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## musa (Mar 9, 2021)

Beautiful!


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## Happypaphy7 (Mar 9, 2021)

Ok, someone please tell me the difference between caudatum, homboldtii, warscarwiczii and wallisii (sp?).


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## Anca86 (Mar 9, 2021)

Djthomp28 said:


> I acquired this as a *small* seedling from Windy Hill about 3 years ago. This is the first time this single growth seedling is blooming. I am hoping this is an indication that it is easier to bloom than my other caudatum clone, which I have had for 5 years. It was a division of a blooming sized plant and has only attempted to bloom once, but the spike blasted... On the plus side, it grows well.
> 
> View attachment 26084
> View attachment 26085


Very nice! How tall is the spike?


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## Djthomp28 (Mar 9, 2021)

Thanks all!



Anca86 said:


> Very nice! How tall is the spike?


About 10-12 inches.


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## mrhappyrotter (Mar 9, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Ok, someone please tell me the difference between caudatum, homboldtii, warscarwiczii and wallisii (sp?).



It's enough to make a grown adult cry. I don't know the specific taxonomic differences that are used to classify them, but the layman's version is ...

*Caudatum* - The big bad wolf of the group. Flowers can be fairly dark, though usually much less than a typical P. humboldtii, to green/white/pale. Personally I've never seen one as small and compact as the one in this thread, but I'm not going to pretend I'm knowledgeable enough about the variation in this species to weigh in on the ID.

*Humboldtii *- Dark flowers, formerly classified as warscewiczianum. Small plants. Flowers are often fragrant (I had to throw that in there).

*Warscewiczianum* - Pale flowers, formerly classified as wallisii. Small plants.

*Wallisii* - Outdated synonym for warscewiczianum.

*Lindenii* - Pale flowers, peloric with 3 petals instead of a slipper lip. Small plants. Very similar to warscewiczianum, other than the peloria.

*Exstaminodium* - Dark flowers, small plant, missing staminode. Very similar to humboldtii, other than the missing staminode.

I think there may be at least one newly discovered species that's been placed into what I colloquially call the "Caudatum group", but at the moment I don't have my resources with me.


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## NYEric (Mar 9, 2021)

Not bad, for a green Phrag.  high bloom count for a small, single growth, plant. Thanks for sharing.


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## Djthomp28 (Mar 9, 2021)

mrhappyrotter said:


> *Humboldtii *- Dark flowers, formerly classified as warscewiczianum. Small plants. Flowers are often fragrant (I had to throw that in there).


 Thanks for these observations! Very helpful. I will throw in that while humboldtii is fragrant, I don't consider it a pleasant fragrance. It's kind of like old gym clothes. Thankfully mine does not have a strong scent.


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## Happypaphy7 (Mar 9, 2021)

Ok, thanks but that does not help. I want to cry. hahaha


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## abax (Mar 9, 2021)

Accckkkkkkk! My Caudatum has three large growths and continues to grow without bloom. Continuing to tweak...I want
blooms like yours!!!!


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## FrankRC (Mar 11, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Ok, someone please tell me the difference between caudatum, homboldtii, warscarwiczii and wallisii (sp?).



Happy! There is detailed accounting of what the differences are between the three Andean species in the year end special Phrag. edition of the Orchid Digest from last year. You can get a copy from their website. The only morphological difference is in the morphology of the slipper, specifically in the distal edge. The general range of color between caudatum and humboltii overlap. A deep dive into the history of the names for this group is in the works.

Exstaminodium is a synonym of humboltii and is not longer considered a species in its own right.

Hope this helps.


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## Duck Slipper (Mar 11, 2021)

mrhappyrotter said:


> It's enough to make a grown adult cry. I don't know the specific taxonomic differences that are used to classify them, but the layman's version is ...
> 
> *Caudatum* - The big bad wolf of the group. Flowers can be fairly dark, though usually much less than a typical P. humboldtii, to green/white/pale. Personally I've never seen one as small and compact as the one in this thread, but I'm not going to pretend I'm knowledgeable enough about the variation in this species to weigh in on the ID.
> 
> ...


Good job!


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## richgarrison (Mar 12, 2021)

Djthomp28 said:


> I acquired this as a *small* seedling from Windy Hill about 3 years ago. This is the first time this single growth seedling is blooming. ....



looks like you are growing that in coarse bark. Am i seeing that correctly? how often are you watering it? and sorry i should remember this, are you growing in a greenhouse?

....still seeking that silver bullet to success on these... ;-)


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## abax (Mar 12, 2021)

Rich, if you find that silver bullet, please share it. Mine is such a fine looking plant that I despair every time I find that it
isn't starting a spike.


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## troy (Mar 12, 2021)

I'd check the root system


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## Djthomp28 (Mar 13, 2021)

richgarrison said:


> looks like you are growing that in coarse bark. Am i seeing that correctly? how often are you watering it? and sorry i should remember this, are you growing in a greenhouse?
> 
> ....still seeking that silver bullet to success on these... ;-)


I wish there was a silver bullet for these. Then I could get my much larger caudatum to bloom. The bark is not as course as it looks. It is actually small grade... the step above seedling grade. It was getting misted daily (automatic misters) and watered twice a week for the winter. I moved it to different spot to allow it to bloom in the place where I would display it. However this spot was no misters and double the air movement, and I am still only watering twice a week. It dries much than it should these days.


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## richgarrison (Mar 13, 2021)

Thanx.... 

just as a goofy anecdote on my behavior... 

Frank Cervera (@FrankRC on here) gave a talk at the slipper symposium in LA last year before the lockdown. and i took away from that talk (evidently in error) that the these long petal species wanted coarse drainage, but frequent water. so the caudatum division i purchased from him, along with all my other long petalled guys got repotted into that regime when i repotted in march of last year.... along with the caudatums into clay with slotted pots, and as well as smaller plants in plastic pots with holes drilled ... (i water them everyday, RO + light Klite)

They are all growing ok, not necessarily better, but growing. Remains to be seen if it is a good thing in my greenhouse... 

Then of course Franks OD article(s) came out, telling me i should be probably doing something different... (wish i would have listened better in the symposium ;-) )

<sigh> time will tell.... i'll probably give them til the fall before i decide if a change is warranted.


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## Happypaphy7 (Mar 13, 2021)

FrankRC said:


> Happy! There is detailed accounting of what the differences are between the three Andean species in the year end special Phrag. edition of the Orchid Digest from last year. You can get a copy from their website. The only morphological difference is in the morphology of the slipper, specifically in the distal edge. The general range of color between caudatum and humboltii overlap. A deep dive into the history of the names for this group is in the works.
> 
> Exstaminodium is a synonym of humboltii and is not longer considered a species in its own right.
> 
> Hope this helps.



Thank you. I actually have that copy and it just isn't very clear. Hence, I want to cry. hahaha


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## alex.sorensen51 (Mar 13, 2021)

mine behaved like a Cattleya labiata,with exactly the same needs, except it liked a cooler rest period after blooming.


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## abax (Mar 13, 2021)

Troy, I repotted and the root system was quite good.


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## Djthomp28 (Mar 15, 2021)

richgarrison said:


> Thanx....
> 
> just as a goofy anecdote on my behavior...
> 
> ...


I grow in the house under lights in the winter. And i have more issues with under watering than over watering. Course mix for my phrags won't work. However if I was set up and watered like you describe it probably would! I use a medium grade bark base for my five inch and up pots. But any thing small than that is in small bark with a handful on medium bark and medium perlite. This one is in a three inch pot.


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## Djthomp28 (Mar 15, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Thank you. I actually have that copy and it just isn't very clear. Hence, I want to cry. hahaha


If the species make you want to cry, the hybrids...


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