Short-lived but so pretty!

Me too!

I have three new blooms out in the OC. First up is Encyclia Nursery Rhyme (Encyclia Atroniceum x Encyclia cordigera).


Then there is Phalaenopsis Mancervi (Phalaenopsis mannii x Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi). One of my mini-Phals.


And finally, this magnificent Schomburgkia tibicinis. I'm not even going to insult this beauty with the Boffin name change. This orchid is everything a Schomburgkia should be including two bloom spikes that are just over 7 feet long each. Yes, that is correct, seven feet long each. This is why I love the Schombos.



Jim

That Schom is AMAZING! Mine has 2 spikes that are about 18" long right now...I guess it will be a few months more for me!

It's really a neat one, I hope mine makes 7ft. spikes one day - the flowers will hang out over my pool! Such a treat.

Jim, beautiful show as always, but your Schom is downright awesome!!
Schoms rule!!

Very nice Jim. Is there a mount in there somewhere? I wonder why nature decided to put the flowers so far from the plant. Could the natural pollinator be harmful to the main plant? Just musing on Sunday morning

Very thoughtful musing.

I could imagine that a plant with such long spikes needs to wave somehow to the pollinator - Yoo-hoo, I am over here!! If this plant sits somewhere in a tree in a pocket of composted leaves perhaps the spikes need to reach up to the canopy to advertise?
If one looks at rupicolous Laelias or similar, some flower on a long spike, others on short spikes. One could perhaps deduce from that the habitat these plants are growing in? High grass - taller spikes, low growing habitat, between rocks - short spikes?
Something like that.

Ah, reaching for the skies...and a bug

Oh yes!

It seems Laelia purpurata season is starting a little earlier than usual around here.
This one is L. purpurata v. vinicolor and a few years ago from Ecuagenera.


Here is a much confused small Den kingianum

This Ascocentrum ampullaceum looked so pretty as I was watering, I just had to take a couple more pics. This is the nicest ampullaceum I have ever owned, it just keeps on shooting out spikes this Spring.

oh my...Ursula...your L. purpurata v. vinicolor..is STUNNING!
As I was loading up my loot from the Redland Show..I noticed that Lc. Gold Digger 'Fuchs Mandarin' had popped open over night.

Lindsey, thanks.
I have to say that this type of purpurata with the dark lip is always my all time favorite. Probably, because I lost some years a really beautiful purpurata, which was similar. I had that one for many years and it was gorgeous and then I lost it one cool rainy Spring, when we had that Slug invasion. I couldn't save it.
I love that clean look on your Gold Digger!

Ursula, I have a number of Den kingianum varieties, and they all seem to grow in confused ways and L. purpurata v. vinicolor is beatiful.
Lc. Gold Digger 'Fuchs Mandarin' is beauty as well. Love yellow flowers

I do love those dark-lipped Laelias, too but have murdered two of them before they even bloomed for me. Guess I need to try another one now that I have a bit more of a clue.

Yes, that purpurata is outstanding.

Jim

Lindsey, that is one of the nicest looking Gold Diggers I've ever seen. Great selection.

Jim

Den. loddigesii - Bought this late last year. First blooms

Den. unicum - Orange is so intense

Enc. Gay Rabbit - An east coast transplant. A purchase from Lindsey

Lycaste Aromatica - The cinnamon scent is divine

Trichoglottis triflora - One of the small ones. This guy is about an inch across, and that's the plant!
Had this one for a little over a year and first bloom this year. Tried to get a better shot of the flowers, but no luck. If you look close there are two flowers at the base of the plant

Sedirea japonica - interesting color and love the little stripes

You are loaded with flowering orchids, Ted.