Change in Sedirea japonica leaf shape - Orchid Board

camille1585 · #1 08-31-2012, 10:59 AM

Maybe you guys have an answer for me. A bit over a year ago I bought a new Sedirea, sold to me as a Daruma type. It has nice round leaves as you would expect for that type, and the first leaf it grew in my care last fall was also round. Then this spring and summer it grew two more leaves. Strangely enough, both of them are twice as long as the other leaves! Any ideas why? I like the round leaves better!

orchidsarefun · #2 08-31-2012, 11:01 AM

I have one of these. Leaves aren't round at all.
Photo to follow......

orchidsarefun · #3 08-31-2012, 11:03 AM

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camille1585 · #4 08-31-2012, 11:03 AM

I'll post a pic of mine as well, once I'm home. Up until the new leaves, it looks nothing like yours!

orchidsarefun · #5 08-31-2012, 11:06 AM

And another japonica ....

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RosieC · #6 08-31-2012, 11:07 AM

I don't know much about this orchid or the Daruma type, but I know in some orchids conditions can affect leaf shape.

My masdies had very very long leaves when bought, but their leaves grown for me are always much rounder and shorter. I understand that to be down to high light, so I wonder if low light might cause them to lengthen

camille1585 · #7 08-31-2012, 11:11 AM

I don't really think it's light related. Up until May I kept it under lights. The leaf from last fall was normal, and the spring leaf was not. It moved to a sunny windowsill after I moved, and continued with the strange leaves. I don't think that there should be so much variation in size like that. My previous one was a Minmaru (so also round leaves), and while I did see some changes in the leaf size according to light levels, they were always round leaves!

camille1585 · #8 08-31-2012, 11:15 AM

I was looking for a pic on internet to show you, and I can across something very interesting: "Unfortunately, many of these end up being not genetically dwarfed, but rather maintained small through chemical manipulation - perhaps a hormone treatment (Jason Fischer, personal communication)" The poster of this says their plants revert to normal growth after a few seasons.

RosieC · #9 08-31-2012, 11:19 AM

Interesting. Sounds like it could be the answer. What a shame if you thought you had a round leaf one

camille1585 · #10 08-31-2012, 11:22 AM

If that's the case, guess I'll have to order a real one from NWO when they are in the UK next June.... That's where I got my Minmaru. It died from what I suspect to be a virus.