Spotted Phalaenopsis Leaves: Disease or Variegation?

[Just Rosie]

Hey guys.
I just purchased this NoID Phalaenopsis from Lowe’s at a discounted price due to its flowers being expended. It wasn’t until I brought it home that I noticed this whitish dappling on its leaves. I’ve tried googling and can’t find anything similar. What do you think? Is it an ailment or is that how this orchid is supposed to look?
Thanks!

[Fuerte Rav]

I picked up a cheap NOID mini Phal a couple of month's ago, repotted immediately - it hasn't stopped blooming! Very happy with a 5€ purchase.
The leaves are very similar.

[Afid]

That is normal spotting I think, probably inherited from P. schilleriana.

[JScott]

Do you know the name of the plant? If you did, you could trace its ancestry and see if it has any variegated species in its background.

Other than that, I'm not sure. It doesn't look great, but it doesn't look awful either. Are the lighter spots on the leaves pitted, or are the leaves nice and smooth and even? Are the leaves firm and plump, or are they floppy? The first picture, my first instinct was that the plant is just severely dehydrated, e.g. underwatered, or the roots are dead and the plant cant take up any water and the leaves have begun to shrivel and wrinkle, but then I looked at the other pictures, and I don't think it's that either. Was the plant always like this, or did this start out as a normal looking plant and then this happened?

Has anything changed about how you care for it? Have you moved it, or changed your watering routine, or recently repotted?

The more I look at the pictures, the more I think it might just be natural variegation. You said in the OP that it's a NoID, so you can't look up its ancestry. But I don't think you should worry as long as the plant keeps growing.

[neophyte]

unless the leaves have a bumpy or pitted texture, it is likely natural patterning. there are several Phalaenopsis species that have these kinds of leaves.

[Just Rosie]

Thank you all for the replies!

@JScott, the leaves are not in great shape, but they’re not horrible either, like you said. Leaves are somewhat plump but also somewhat floppy. They might be slightly wrinkled but nowhere near some of my over-watered Phal’s leaves. The spotting is not pitted or raised. I’ve only had the plant for a couple of days, so it has not been moved or watered.

Now that I’m more confident it’s just a phenotype, I will move him under my growlight with the others so hopefully he can thrive!

Thank you guys again for the answers!

[aliceinwl]

Nice rescue! I’m a sucker for Phalaenopsis with patterned leaves.

[Kruger]

If you give it more light, you may get more striated patterns.