Anyone care to guess:

[SlipperFan]

Paph flowers are more like regular orchids, in that they tend to look like they are dying before they drop off. Phrags, on the other hand, usually look perfectly fine when they drop. The good thing is that there is usually at least one more bud coming along or about to open.

 

[John M]

That's a beautiful besseae and you got it at a great price! Regarding the way perfect looking flowers drop off suddenly at the end of their life: Over the years, I've heard of a few instances where family members are accused of knocking the flower off a Phrag plant; sometimes, creating quite an argument. For this reason, whenever I realize that a person buying a Phrag from me is a first time Phrag owner, I warn them of this trait. Now that the flower has dropped, that small bud will swell up quite quickly and open up very soon. My mature besseaes tend to have 9 to 12 flowers, opening one at a time in succession, per stem; not counting the flowers on the side branches. So, you've got a lot of enjoyment yet to come from your plant.

 

[Clark]

Mine fall off when I go and get the camera.
Nice purchase.

 

[John M]

Mine fall off when I go and get the camera.

LOL! I remember how Joe Kunisch of Bloomfield Orchids (N.Y.), was so lucky at the Toronto show, many years ago. He put in a display of nice plants with the best one being a huge specimen Phrag. Jason Fischer (or it might have been a Mem. Dick Clements). Anyway, it had multiple stems with multiple side braches and all had multiple flowers on them. It was a grand sight! The plant was pulled for judging and it was awarded. All went well with the pointing and photography......and as the plant was being placed back into Joe's display, about half the perfect flowers just fell off! Had that happened just 1 or 2 hours earlier, it probably wouldn't have been awarded!

 

[newbud]

Since it fell off I took it apart and found the pollen but it was all brown so I figured it was dead. Wouldn't the pollen be colorful if it was still good? Same with my F.C.Puddle which is still on the stalk. I guess there's a small window of time to pollinate Phrags and Paphs. I still had a hard time finding the opening on the stigma where the pollen goes even after looking at the tutorial from Troy. But since the pollen was brown I guess it won't take anyhow. Thanks