Scalded Phal & Surprising Results

[RosieC]

I've had ones grow both together. My largest Phal does it all the time and is doing it again just now. This one seems able to keep going on the leaf even while the spike is growing.

[jrodpad]

This phal continues to confound and amaze. The old flower spike (with 3 flowers that have been in bloom for months) put out a new bud after the scalding incident.

The bud just opened this weekend and much to my surprise, it produced a very symmetrical (almost round) flower with no lip! Is this common? The other existing flowers all have a very pronounced lip like every other phal that I've ever seen - but the new bloom is completely without that structure. There is nothing below the anther cap and column. It looks so odd and I was wondering if this is a mutation or if it could possibly be a result of the trauma?

I'd love to know your thoughts.

Thanks!

- J

[RosieC]

Hmm, I've seen pictures of mutations like that, and heard that the same plant flowered normally again afterwards. I would suggest it could easily be a mutation caused by the heat.

Can you post pics of the mutated flower. It would be interesting to see.

[Izzie]

Could be a fused flower?

[Tropicgirl]

I'd love to see some pictures, too!

[jrodpad]

Sorry for the delayed response.

I've finally been able to upload the picture of my mutant phal - crazy, no?

It's still going through an crazy growth stage - it still has flowers, there's a couple of flower spikes that are reaching up for the light and the new leaf is growing at a totally normal pace.

I'm so intrigued by this little phal - ever since the "incident" it's been one surprise after the next.

- J

[jrodpad]

This poorly treated phal is a real survivor. It's putting put what I think might be a keiki from the spike it put out back in April (what do you think, could his little lump be a keiki?), and I just noticed what I believe to be a new flower spike this afternoon peeking our from between the leaves. What do you think - flower spike, root or too soon to tell?

This phal is a real roller coaster. I hope it's a spike so that I can find out if I will continue to get mutated flowers. Can't wait!

-J

[orchids3]

I had a heater failure once - which I caught and fixed very quickly - but all the leaves fell of several large Phals. There was nothing left but dead nubs. Most of them recovered but some missed blooming for a year.

[Call_Me_Bob]

wow! amazing.... maybe i should try this sometime, LOL!! that mutated flower really is something

[jrodpad]

So a week later and it's clear that the little growth from between the leaves in the last post WAS actually a spike. Hooray!





That said, I still have no idea whether the lump on the spike will be a new spike or will be a keiki. What do you guys think?





Can't wait to see how this one turns out.

-Jason