Pretty sure my initial ID is incorrect.

[Tee Dee]

Hello everyone! I am new to the fascinating hobby of growing orchids. It began two years ago when I brought home my first orchid from the funeral home. In this time my orchid collection has grown to a total of three Phalaenopsis and one unkown. My plants grow indoors under artificial light. My first orchid, now a mature Phalaenopsis recently produced 20 lovely, silver dollar size blossoms on a single stalk. A new stalk started to grow even as the existing one still had fresh flowers on it.

A year ago I purchased a forlorn, in need of TLC mini-orchid at the local garden shop for less than a Starbucks coffee. The lack of flowers and myself being new to the hobby, I believed this plant was another Phaleanopsis. I assumed all retail orchids sold like this were indentical. The young plant had not developed a flower stalk before and I anxiously waited, wondering the color of the flowers. I was surprised to see a branched stalk and tiny white flowers. Even though the long, narrow leaves and small blossoms were unlike my two previous plants, I barely considered that the orchid was a different genus.

Time progressed, I became a little more knowledgeable and eventually seriously questioned my initial identification. Time spent researching the Internet did not provide an answer, therefore I turned to OrchidBoard for help. I would appreciate help to correctly ID this unknown orchid and learn more about it. For perspective, this plant is shown in a 4 inch pot.

Finally, are those two young keikis growing at the tips of the stems? Thank you. Tim.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Congratulations on flowering it! Yes, it is a Phalaenopsis. There are species and hybrids in this genus with flower sizes from huge to mini. It's not possible to give a name because there are so many very similar hybrids.

Those do look like keikis. A species in the ancestry of many minis is Phal. equestris, which forms a large number of keikis. It passes this tendency to many hybrids.

[Roberta]

Great save! That is, indeed, a very lovely mini-Phalaenopsis. And you have grown it quite well. Congratulations!

[Mountaineer370]

Welcome to the Orchid Board. And congratulations on a very nicely grown compact Phalaenopsis! I have occasionally seen Phals grow leaves somewhere along the inflorescence without putting out any roots, so it never developed into a true keiki, but fingers crossed for you that yours will grow roots.

[Tee Dee]

The flowers definitely show identical similarities in structure and shape amongst all of my orchids. I did not take into account the possibility of natural variation of other traits within the same genus. It strikes me that flower morphology is a primary key used to correctly identify orchids.

I am aware keikis that grow roots may be removed from the parent and raised individually. What happens if no roots form?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Tee Dee

I am aware keikis that grow roots may be removed from the parent and raised individually. What happens if no roots form?

As long as the spike is green, leave them where they are. They're contributing to the plant. They can't survive independently with no roots, but while attached to the green spike, their photosynthesis helps feed the mother plant.

[Dalachin]

Your white Phalaenopsis is thriving, clearly you need some more orchids!

[Tee Dee]

Originally Posted by Dalachin

Your white Phalaenopsis is thriving, clearly you need some more orchids!

I am on the lookout for a young Phalaenopsis with brilliant yellow or blue blossoms.

[Roberta]

Thre are some nice yellow ones. Blue won't happen... There are blue-violet Phals (some Phal. violacea clones and maybe some progeny, are very dark) But the bright blue Phals are dyed. When they bloom again they are white.

[Tee Dee]

Originally Posted by Roberta

But the bright blue Phals are dyed. When they bloom again they are white.

Almost tricked into buying $$$ blue one. That would have been very disappointing