Unifoliate vs bifoliate bulbs?

[mascia]

Hi everyone,
I've been intrigued by this behaviour for a while, so I decided to ask the experts

I thought that bifoliate cattleyas produced one-leafed pseudobulbs when they were seedlings, but once they were mature, all the bulbs would have two leaves.

The thing is, that's not what really happens, right?

Examples from my own collection:

1. A Bc. Maikai Mayumi that I started from 3 back bulbs produced two tiny bifoliate bulbs, then a medium unifoliate bulb and now a huge bifoliate bulb again.

2. A big and established Blc. Bruno Bruno produced a unifoliate bulb. It is just as big as the bifoliate ones, and I can also see the buds forming inside the sheath.

So, is there a scientific explanation for this? I thought that maybe they would produce unifoliate bulbs when the orchid is stressed or set back, but from my experience, it seems to be totally random.

Thanks!

[No-Pro-mwa]

I can't give you a scientific explanation but mine will do the same thing. I have always felt that perhaps it didn't have the strength to put out 2 leaves. But I also think when they are a hybrid they may have a unifoliate leaf in there so the plant is a bit mixed up and just does what it wants to.

[WhiteRabbit]

It happens a lot in hybrids - I don't know the parentage of yours, but I suspect there may be unifolates there ?

Species-wise, it seems pretty common for Laelia anceps to grow both bifolate and unifolate growths. Perhaps having anceps in the hybrid may also play a part ?

[isurus79]

Intergerneric hybrids often don't adhere to "rules" commonly exhibited by parents.

[ArronOB]

Looking these two up on Blue Nanta

Maikai Mayumi is a primary hybrid of Brasavola nodosa and Gurianthe bowringiana, neither of which is exactly a bifoliate or a unifoliate cattleya.

Bruno Bruno has 16 species in its parentage, a roughly equal mix of uni and bi.

I don’t think it’s a matter of growing conditions, I think they are basically genetic pea soup and anything can happen, quite randomly.

[Intruder]

Interesting observations! Last year my Cattleya percivaliana made two leaves on the last pseudo bulb and no flowers. Same error with my Cattleya labiata rubra. No explanations. So the contrary of your observations can arise also.

[Ben_in_North_FLA]

I second ArronOB, 30 years of growing orchids has confirmed his statement
"I don’t think it’s a matter of growing conditions, I think they are basically genetic pea soup and anything can happen, quite randomly."
I see the dominance of one type of plant allowing the recessive to burst one bulb and then forces it into submission not be seen again. Strictly genetics..IMHO