Bulbophyllum Hybrid in bloom

[Stray59]

everyone!
I have a couple of pics of my Bulbophyllum Melting Point 'Mem. Sally Weiner' AM/AOS X longissimum 'Windy Hill' which just finished blooming. True to form, I have shots of early bloom development right up to maturity, but will only show you this beauty at it's best. The blooms measured over 8 inches long. Great details in the throat and blooms overall, and I regret I did not take close ups - (Gosh I love these 'smiles')!
Hope you enjoy -- sorry if the photos aren't that great!
Steve
-

- Told you I loved the 'smiles'

[WhiteRabbit]

Fabulous!

[Lagoon]

Freaky and weird blooms, I find these just gorgeous to admire!

Lovely blossoms, Steve, ooh and Welcome aboard

[tuvoc]

Cool.

Kim

[Stray59]

Thanks everyone!

Steve

[Leafmite]

Wow! Those are large! Very nice. I finally gave in and bought my first bulbo but it is small, with tiny blossoms, not nearly as impressive as yours. What a cool one!

[gnathaniel]

Nice one! Looks much like longissimum with a wider 'stance' on the umbel. Any fragrance? My longissimum smells...bizarre.

[Stray59]

gnathaniel and others --
Alas, the little beaut had no scent that I detected. It may have slipped one by me if it has a short 'smell period', but I tried to whiff it a few times a day. I purchased this at Hilltop Orchids, just about 1 hour away from me. Dick at Hilltop sold me this one - 8 mature pseudos and the beginning of two bloom shoots - it bloomed out over the course of about 4 weeks, with the blooms filling out over the course of about 1 week. It was great taking pics of the blooms as they got longer and longer.
The same day Dick also sold me a Bulbophyllum medusea - 6 pseudos with a bloom stalk just starting. The bloom sheath tip got slightly bruised in transit (my car) and the stalk is taking forever to get any bigger. I do notice some lengthening, but it is slowwww. I have never had these before, pretty new to the whole Bulbophyllum family, but I have always admired them from afar. The ones I wanted have always been out of my price range, but Dick gave me what I think was a pretty good deal - $30.00 on the longissimum and $35.00 on the medusea - )! I think he really undersold himself on the medusea, as the price tag was really blurred; I could not tell if it read 35, 65 or 85. The tag on the one I bought LOOKED like it said 35. When I asked him about it, he took a long time to answer, obviously counting the various orchids I had bought from him, and told me he would let me have it at $35. I am not sure that a second one would sell for that.
If anyone has bloomed a Bulb. medusea let me know of your experience with the time it took to bloom.
Thanks
Steve

[Brooke]

I've never timed them from start of spike until the actual bloom opening, but I'm sure if you are starring at it, it will take forever Don't worry, if it is growing it will eventually open.

Here is mine taken about a month ago. This was the second flush this year but it is the most blooms I've gotten on it.


Bulb medusae JCL_1182 by kentucky4, on Flickr

I grow it wet and in medium light. When it is out of bloom I actually lay the mount in a tray of water and keep the tray full. I hang it when it starts spiking and when finished, back into the tray.

Patience - it will be worth the wait.

Brooke

[Stray59]

Brooke;
Thanks for the beautiful photo! - It loves you!!!
I am posting a couple of pics so you can see what mine is doing. It has a brown sheath on the bloom stalk and, you can see the number I did on the tip of the bloom ... I know it is too dry in the photo, but I have to water yet today. I wanted to mount this on a cork plaque, but not until it blooms.

Again - thanks for the input. I am almost as appreciative as I am envious - and I am very appreciative!
Steve