Twin Paph. delenatii

[Paphluvr]

One of my Paph delenatii's recently bloomed in an unusual manner. If you look at the first picture, I think we can all agree that the flower is grossly deformed. But notice behind it another spike and bud developing. Picture two shows the rear of the deformed flower and the second spike. The third picture shows this in slightly more detail. The forth picture shows the dead stem of the deformed flower and the stem of the still blooming second flower. The last picture is of the whole plant.

I think the first flowers stem did not elongate properly, therefor the flower developed in the leaf axil causing the deformation.

For those of you who think that the second stem is just a secondary flower from the first stem, notice in the forth pic the the first stem is completely dead.

I've been growing Paph's for over 40 years and have never seen a Paph do this before

 

[Cheyenne]

I had two plants do this same thing this past year. My woluwense had one deformed flower that came up right in the leaf axis then that was it. About a month later it put up what looked to be another spike from the same spot that grew much higher and bloomed normal. When it was done blooming i pulled some of the top leaves out and removed the spikes to find the first deformed flower was actually on the normal spike, so it was one spike it just regrew after it took a break. But it was wieird that the first fliwer was so low and the next flower was technically about a foot up the spike.

 

[Ozpaph]

freaky

 

[mrhappyrotter]

A double spike from a single growth -- never happened in my collection. It's very rare, usually just a fluke that happens one time only.

I recall it happening once in a Maudiae type paph at my former employer's greenhouse about 15 years ago when I was working there. There are almost certainly photos of it laying around somewhere, but that was at a time when a good portion of photography was still on film, so odds are slim that someone has gone through the process of scanning and posting the pics online.

 

[SlipperFan]

Poor thing.

 

[NYEric]

I think that's the same thing I posted about my Paph Stella Lim. On STF there have been other Poly x Parvi and Poly x Brachy crosses that did the same thing, never a straight Parvi though ..

 

[tenman]

I've had it happen a few times, though I have no idea why.

 

[abax]

Sending great hope for the remaining spike...I think. Orchids certainly
keep us on our toes. It's a beautiful plant with gorgeous foliage.

 

[Trithor]

I think you need to cut that flower spike quickly. You don't want to stress a small plant like that too much by forcing it to carry a bloom! Shame, give that small plant a chance to grow first before it has to flower.

 

[paphioboy]

That is the largest single clump of delenatii I have ever seen! Great growing!

 

[Paphluvr]

That is the largest single clump of delenatii I have ever seen! Great growing!

It's on my list of Paphs to be repotted so, unfortunately, it may not be a single clump for much longer (but it still seems tight and compact so I have hope).

 

[SlipperKing]

Quite a massive plant..nice culture BTW. If you look into it further during your repotting by sacrficing that growth, let us know if really is two separate stems or one stem with a very low branching.
I've had dele X multis bloom out a flower from the crown on a very long ovary, be deformed and then grow out the remaining stem/spike with more normal or deformed flowers but never two totally separate stems.

 

[Stone]

Fantastic specimen Paphluvr!!!!!!! Please share your conditions/technique. Always love to learn from this kind of growing/er

 

[Paphluvr]

Fantastic specimen Paphluvr!!!!!!! Please share your conditions/technique. Always love to learn from this kind of growing/er

Well, Stone, first you need to buy an old drafty farmhouse with tall, narrow windows that don't let in a lot of light... Well, not really, but that does kind of describe my house. I used to grow under lights and had one room that was my "greenhouse". A move to a new (old) house dictated a change in my growing conditions.

This particular Paph. is growing on a bakers rack in my living room at a south facing window. Winter light levels are low enough that it doesn't burn and in the middle of the summer the sun is high enough that it doesn't get direct sun. However, in spring and fall a have to keep an eye on it and occasionally have a problem with sun scorch. I also keep it somewhat drier than most of my other slippers. Daytime temps in the summer can reach 84°F (29°C) during a heat wave (the house isn't air conditioned). Daytime temps in the winter are around 69-70° (21°C) and night around 62°F (16.5°C).

I us several fertilizers given at half strength twice a month, maybe a bit less often in the winter. Also, lower nitrogen levels in the winter. Winter humidity is supplemented to 55% if possible.

Most growers wouldn't try to emulate these conditions but they work for me.

Does this help in any way?

 

[NYEric]

sure.