Deformed Phal blooms???

[Sandy4453]

This phal began blooming in mid February and the last bloom ended about a month ago. While the blooms were still pristine, the spike began growing and now I've got 5 more flowers (one yet still to open) but they're all mutations, one less severe but the other 4 look like this one (pics 3 & 4), a big departure from what they originally looked like. I've seen similar to this happen on second bloomings but never to this extreme. I'm so fascinated by it that I actually like my little martian blooms.

Any thoughts to share about what's going on with these? And yes, I use SuperThrive.

The first pic is from the first bloom, the next 2 are what's flowering, now.

[metalop1g]

Your flowers are peloric, just like one of my orchids. This might be caused by stress, or by genetic problems.

[RosieC]

I've heard of prolonged use of higher concentrations of KLN or SuperThrive causing mutations. Never seen it myself but it may be a factor here.

They don't look exactly peloric to me, more of a mutation.

[LauraN]

It looks like siamese twins to me

[camille1585]

Nice peloric blooms! I wish I could have a phal like that. The strange thing about peloric blooms is that you may have some one blooming, but have all normal blooms the next time. If it happens again in the future, it's probably something in the plant's genetics.

[Amanda L]

You have a beautiful phal there!! I love the way the peloric blooms look. I've only seen one in the store, they are quite interesting!

[tuvoc]

I agree with Rosie, not exactly peloric, especially since it looks like only one flower is affected. Looks like two buds kind of fused together somehow, and then opened together. Freaky, but neat.

Kim

[WhiteRabbit]

I had a plant give me a siamese twin kind of bloom earlier this year. I don't know what causes it - but out of 14 blooms only one was like that.

[quiltergal]

I don't think it's peloric either. More of a mutation possibly caused by too much Superthrive. Hard to know for sure though.

[Jerry Delaney]

Sandy, any chance this plant was sprayed with Orthene?