Phal petal notches

[Jennyfleur]

Hi everyone (third attempt - computer issues!)

Some of you may have seen some pictures of my unknown Phal 'Dot' lately. However, I noticed something the other day and wondered what you all thought - the flowers on one spike have notches on the top of the petals but the flowers on the other spike do not have these notches!

Since this is the first time this Phal has flowered for me (as it was a 'rescued-from-near-death' project), I don't have any previous flowers for comparison.

I've seen these marks on pictures of pure white Phals before, but I wondered if anyone had noticed flowers on the same plant but on two spikes behaving differently.

Hope that all makes sense (the first time I wrote all this out it was much better!) but, if not, here are a couple of pics for comparison.

[Bird Song Farm]

Hello Jenny, what's up?

[Jennyfleur]

Hi, sorry - that was me/ my computer being ditsy! I started typing and it posted and then wouldn't load the edit!! Having a third go now so fingers crossed!

[Bird Song Farm]

Originally Posted by Jennyfleur

Hi, sorry - that was me/ my computer being ditsy! I started typing and it posted and then wouldn't load the edit!! Having a third go now so fingers crossed!

Yep, 'puters are great when they work.
Keep trying, it's just a machine.

[Jennyfleur]

Yay! Finally got there! x

[RosieC]

Is that on all the flowers on the one spike or just the one?

It looks like the kind of thing I've seen when a bud has had mechanical damage before it's opened which is why I ask about it being just one flower or all of them.

[Jennyfleur]

Hi Rosie,
Yes, that's what I thought when I saw that one open (which is the first on that spike).

However, the next three which have opened on that side also have them in the same places ( - the photos above were the first I took of the flowers, which is why not many buds are open). If anything, they are nicer by being more symetrical and curvy.

I've tried to zoom in on a shot I just took so you can see one side of one that opened later

[RosieC]

Hmm, can't say what has caused it, but I do like the look of them.

[jrodpad]

Jenny,

Not sure what causes this, but it did happen to one flower on my favorite phal the last time it bloomed. I turned that flower to the back

My guess was damage to the bud too - it was a flower that was a part of the second blooming from the spike - so I figured I must have bumped it around while watering.

Hopefully one of the phal experts chimes in with an answer.

It's lovely, by the way.

- J

[Izzie]

I have had this happen with the two lateral petals getting rather caught up on eachother as the blossom was developing and opening. Sometimes I could catch it early and "unhook" them, and it didn't turn out so bad.