Paph. rothschildianum 'Hulk' SM/TPS x sib 'Reachout self'

[eds]

This is the first flower of a plant I got with the above label in March 2019. I bought it from Elite Orchids who got it from In-Charm on 14/6/2018 (according to the note on the label!)



I'll post an in-toto picture once the second bloom full opens and try to get a better square-on shot as this one looks more uneven than in real life. Natural spread is 16.5cm and only two blooms as the third unfortunately seems to have aborted at some point during development.

 

[SlipperKing]

Fantastic color

 

[Justin]

Has a lot going for it. Upper level potential.

 

[Murray F]

Nice one

 

[Ozpaph]

Form and colour great, but its tiny. 16cm???

 

[big923cattleya]

I think that the color is good! No doubt about it!
On the minus side, the dorsal, staminode and pouch seemed mid-aligned. That could improve on another blooming.
I too think it is undersized. Just as a point of reference, awarded Roth’s average 26 cm. natural spread. That is a horizontal measurement from petal tip to petal tip.
As it grows bigger, the plant matures, and the flowers can improve. I would not make a hasty decision. My go to position is to bloom something 3 times before I think of discarding something like this.

 

[eds]

Thanks all. I am just glad it is a Roth as my other plant wasn't!

The misalignment has much to do with me not staking this when I really should have so the flower has opened at an angle. When I thought about it it was too late.

I agree about the size though but I'm hoping the cause of the third flower aborting might have impacted the flower size. It will be kept and grown on and see if it improves with better care!

 

[big923cattleya]

Staking will not improve alignment. Age of the plant might.
As seedling orchids grow and mature, they build up older backgrowths and/or pseudobulbs. They build up a more extensive root system. More and more strength of a plant gets stored in those areas. This is typically why first bloom seedlings do not show their full potential. Little strength in reserve.
I always associate that with a good root system. What is a typical orchid flower consist of, maybe 85, 90, 92, 95% water? Without a proper root system to take up adequate water, and store it in the plants tissues, how can it produce proper or maximum sized flowers? At least I have always looked at it that way.
Just my 3 cents worth.

 

[spujr]

The dorsal looks like it has potential and as others noted, great colors!

 

[GuRu]

Form and colour great, but its tiny. 16cm???

I second this except the size of the flower .... not tiny but small.

 

[SelectOrchids]

And here we have the BIG problem I mentioned elsewhere!!!!

Hulk x Reachout is from In-Charm, and yes it looks like the parents. It is a very nice one definitely.

The flower size, that can depend on how the plant is grown after. 2 flowers and 1 aborted bud suggest the plants did not get enough fertilizer, or a pot large enough for the roots... so it is a detail. That explains as well the small flowers.

But we recognize the parents. Not like the Orchid Inn plants that we are right now showered with in photos, which range from ugly to awful, and completely alien to the parents.

So now, what are the odds that someone buys 1 plant, bloom 1 plant, and get that flower, where dozens of Knight's Challenge, whatever, ExtraDark etc... from another nursery all turn to be crap flowers not even remotely close to the parents?

 

[Theodoreorchidking]

Nice!!!

 

[NEslipper]

Very promising, can't wait to see it on a mature plant. Congrats!

 

[Guldal]

A very worthy substitute for "the Polish failure", Ed!

 

[eds]

A very worthy substitute for "the Polish failure", Ed!

Speaking of which, it is currently throwing up another spike! I think its label might be changed to 'the Polish failure'! I like the name!