Is it fractured or is it broken?

[estación seca]

This came to me from Sunset Valley Orchids in July 2020. It is JH 38 Cyc. warscewiczii 'Leo' AM/AOS x Cycd. Freckled Sweetheart 'Samantha' AM/AOS.

It completed its growth and went to sleep at the appropriate time. I planned to repot up to a 2-liter bottle for this growing season, and awaited new growth.

I forgot how top-heavy these are when dry. The round 3" / 7.5cm plastic pot has a layer of packing peanuts at the bottom, then a layer of sphagnum moss.

Twelve days ago, before it began waking up for the spring, I bumped the shelf. It jumped off and hit the ground, breaking the new growth into 3 pieces: bottom with old roots, middle, top.







I knew the bottom would survive and grow if I could prevent it from drying out from all the exposed tissue. I wondered whether the other two pieces would produce growths as well. I know this group of plants will make growths from dormant meristems well above the base if the base dies or is eaten.

To prevent drying out, I dipped all the cut ends in melted candle wax, and put the plant back with the others.

As you can see, the bottom and middle pieces did not dry out. They are each pushing a new growth. It is a little harder to see in the photo, but the top piece has a swelling new growth forming at the node facing the camera.

I'm going to pot up the three pieces separately.

I don't recommend doing this intentionally - yet.