Two new spikes...I think

[dgenovese1]

I was checking out my cycnoches collection the other day...all 11 plants...and I discovered what I think are spikes on two of my seedling plants.

The first is on my Cyc. cooperi, which I have no doubts about it being a bloom spike.

The second however looks a little different, and I'm not positive it is a spike. It is on my Cyc. barthiorum. Does this particular species present its spike differently than other cycnoches, or is it doing something different from what I've seen on my other cycnoches? Mind you I've only seen two of them bloom before. What do you think?

[unhappykat]

The second is definitly a spike, the first looks like a spike emerging, I have only one cycnoches and when it spiked it resembled this, mine grew very long and thin, when the blooms opened they looked like they would rip the spike right off the poor plant. Good growing.

[isurus79]

Both are spikes and your second pic is a boy! Each little spikey on the barthiorum will be a flower and the flowers will be male! Males tend to last for only a short time (see Nancy's recent post), while the female flowers last much longer and seem to have a stronger scent. Enjoy!

[dgenovese1]

Originally Posted by unhappykat

The second is definitly a spike, the first looks like a spike emerging, I have only one cycnoches and when it spiked it resembled this, mine grew very long and thin, when the blooms opened they looked like they would rip the spike right off the poor plant. Good growing.

Originally Posted by isurus79

Both are spikes and your second pic is a boy! Each little spikey on the barthiorum will be a flower and the flowers will be male! Males tend to last for only a short time (see Nancy's recent post), while the female flowers last much longer and seem to have a stronger scent. Enjoy!

Thanks kat and Isurus,

Now I know what the difference between a male and female spike is...and I'm wondering what the differnce is between the way the female and male flowers look. Is this difference a random act, or does one plant always produce one gender of flower or the other?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by dgenovese1

Thanks kat and Isurus,

Now I know what the difference between a male and female spike is...and I'm wondering what the differnce is between the way the female and male flowers look. Is this difference a random act, or does one plant always produce one gender of flower or the other?

Here are some pics from my gallery. This one is Cyc. barthiorum male flowers (taken last summer) on a plant that is probably about the same size as the one you posted in this thread. This next pic shows my Jean E Monnier flowering with female shaped blooms. Cyc Jean E Monnier is a primary hybrid between barthiorum and cooperi, so your barthiorum would probably have similarly shaped female flowers. Female flowers are produced on fully mature (think large p-bulbs) when placed in high light situations; the type that would make most Cattleyas wilt. Lower light situations and smaller plants will throw male flowers. When growing mature plants, the trick is to grow them in high light so they are able to get huge p-bulbs and then either shade them for male flowers (if thats what you desire) or keep them in high light but shade the newly formed spike with a peice of tinfoil. Either method will produce huge bulbs with male flowers. Ill post some more pics here for further comparison: Male Cyc William Clarke (herrenhusanum x cooperi) and then female shaped Cyc herrenhusanum Male flowers tend to be more numerous, smaller in size and short lived, while the females are fewer in number, larger in size and long lived.

[dgenovese1]

Steve,

Thanks for your great explanation! I appreciate your thoroughness and the pics!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by dgenovese1

Steve,

Thanks for your great explanation! I appreciate your thoroughness and the pics!

No prob!

[cb977]

[Soonix]

Steve do all orchids have the male and female flowers or just this particular species?

Thank you.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Soonix

Steve do all orchids have the male and female flowers or just this particular species?

Thank you.

The vast majority of orchids are 'perfect' which means they have both male and female parts on the same flower. Some, like Cycnoches and Catasetums have separate flowers for each sex. It should be noted, however, that even Catasetums and Cycnoches can produce 'perfect' flowers that have both male and female reproductive organs on the same flower. In fact, the two female shaped flowers in my previous post on this thread were actually hermaphroditic. Thats why I said female shaped, rather than just saying they were female flowers. Usually Cycnoches and Catasetums have an "either or" system where flowers are clearly separated as male or female. Sometimes, as in the 'female shaped' flowers in my pictures, you get pollinia that grow on female shaped flowers, thus creating a hermaphroditic flower. Usually on these hermaphrodites, however, the pollen is not viable. Sometimes Catasetums will actually have male, female and even hermaphroditic flowers on the same plant at the same, sometimes even on the same spike! Needless to say, early botanists were completely baffled for decades!! This is one of the reasons that I like these two genera so much (as well as their close allies Clowesia and Mormodes, though these two genera have 'perfect' flowers). Theyre just so darn wierd!!