Will stress prevent a Paph Maudiae from fully opening?

[PaphLover]

Curious what causes a paph bloom to not fully open. I recently bought this NOID and wonder why its dorsal sepal will not stand upright.

It was bought from the grower's very warm greenhouse and driven home on a cold day in the back of my hatchback (None of the humans was willing to sit back there instead. ). My home is definitely not kept as warm as the greenhouse and probably not close to the same humidity level (though I DO have it near a diffuser/humidifier filled with water only). I also had to make the difficult decision of repotting it because the media was tightly packed around its roots and it seemed over-potted. When I did take it out, I found it to be (as seen so many times) simply plucked out of a smaller pot and stuffed into a bigger one with more moss packed around its already packed roots—instead of properly removing all media and repotting in fresh.

So yes, the poor thing has been stressed. And I'm grateful it opened at all.

[PaphMadMan]

Several kinds of stress can cause Paph buds to not open fully - low humidity, high heat, weak roots or lack of water, physical or insect damage to the bud, and more. Short exposure to cold is less likely - for a Maudiae type below 40F for hours, or below freezing for a few minutes. Sometimes just a big change in environment. Or it can just be a developmental problem, no biological process is perfect 100% of the time. It can even be a genetic problem.

But I don't think any of those are necessarily a problem here. This flower looks fully open to me, not as flat as some but at least within the normal range. See how the dorsal sepal and synsepal are almost in the same plane? The larger problem is that the whole flower is angled somewhat face down. That is normal, very few wild forms hold their flowers fully upright. This can be worse if the spike was staked too early. The bud will keep trying to face downward until it is almost open. If the spike angle is changed the bud tries to make up for it. You may be able to tilt the flower back somewhat for better presentation. Next time it flowers do not stake it upright until the flower is open and I think it will be pretty good.

[PaphLover]

PaphMadMan,

Love your explanations! So informative. Thank you.

This one was purchased staked, so I will ensure to follow your directions for the next spike. Since it hasn't yet begun to grow a new fan, I'll be sure to give you an update in, say, a few years.

[Fairorchids]

Many of the 'Maudiae' hybrids tend to nod like this.

[No-Pro-mwa]

It's very pretty.

[PaphLover]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

It's very pretty.

Thanks Shannon! I like it too. It was a nice surprise.

[PaphLover]

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

Several kinds of stress can cause Paph buds to not open fully - low humidity, high heat, weak roots or lack of water, physical or insect damage to the bud, and more. Short exposure to cold is less likely - for a Maudiae type below 40F for hours, or below freezing for a few minutes. Sometimes just a big change in environment. Or it can just be a developmental problem, no biological process is perfect 100% of the time. It can even be a genetic problem.

But I don't think any of those are necessarily a problem here. This flower looks fully open to me, not as flat as some but at least within the normal range. See how the dorsal sepal and synsepal are almost in the same plane? The larger problem is that the whole flower is angled somewhat face down. That is normal, very few wild forms hold their flowers fully upright. This can be worse if the spike was staked too early. The bud will keep trying to face downward until it is almost open. If the spike angle is changed the bud tries to make up for it. You may be able to tilt the flower back somewhat for better presentation. Next time it flowers do not stake it upright until the flower is open and I think it will be pretty good.

Hmmm, looks like it straightened up a bit and is not angled down so much. Is this a normal occurrence as a flower matures?

[PaphMadMan]

Originally Posted by PaphLover

Hmmm, looks like it straightened up a bit and is not angled down so much. Is this a normal occurrence as a flower matures?

Not unusual to see significant changes in angle and flatness the first week or so after it opens, usually less after that.

[Luizacft]

Your paph is beautiful! Maudiae is that one with awesome leaves, isn't it? If i had a paph, that would be the one! In the exact same colour! So pretty!


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[snowflake311]

I have one just like this it toout trends to look droopy. Yours likeso good to me. Sometime they just need time to pop up in would not worry or stress.