Cute little monopodial

[Acharn]

Another new acquisition. The plant looks a lot like an Ascocentrum garayi I got back in January, but is a little bigger and the color of the flowers is different from any of the Ascocentrum I've been able to find pictures of. The blossoms are about ¾ inch (about 2cm.) in diameter. There are a parent plant and a mature keikei in s single basket, and the keikei also has a flower spike that hasn't yet started opening its buds.

[wintergirl]

Love the soft purple color.

[Fairorchids]

It is a hybrid, and it definitely has some Rhy coelestis in it. There is probably both Vanda & Ascocentrum in it too, but which ones is impossible to say.

[PaphMadMan]

Rather than a hybrid, to me this appears to be Rhynchostylis coelestis itself. But there are at least 10 hybrids that are 75% or more Rhychostylis coelestis, any of which might be hard to distinguish from the species from a few photos.

[Lynn in Michigan]

don't know what it is, but it is a cutie for sure

[Acharn]

Originally Posted by Lynn in Michigan

don't know what it is, but it is a cutie for sure

Yeah, I'm glad I got it. I'm surprised to hear opinions that it's Rhyncostylis, because I've got a couple of gigantea and the leaves and roots are very different. The flowers do look like coelestis, though. Well, guess that's what I'll call it unless something more persuasive turns up.

[Fairorchids]

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

Rather than a hybrid, to me this appears to be Rhynchostylis coelestis itself. But there are at least 10 hybrids that are 75% or more Rhychostylis coelestis, any of which might be hard to distinguish from the species from a few photos.

You could be right. I was in part looking at the number of flowers on the spikes, where I normally expect to see more from the pure coelestis (see photo of pink form attached). However, flower shape and distribution of the color is looking like a pure coelestis.

[bethmarie]

Whatever it is, it is lovely

[Acharn]

OK, the plant looks a lot like the one shown in the left-hand picture. Mine has two plants, a parent and an adult keikei in one basket. The current flowers are on a spike from the parent plant, the color is quite pale, and they look like they bloomed a couple, three weeks ago. There's a spike from the keikei with a lot of buds, which haven't opened yet, but look like their color is more vivid. It's more like the right-hand spike which we see in the left-hand picture. I think the spike currently in bloom had a lot more flowers on it before I bought it. Generally this is not a good time of the year to be buying orchids other than Dendrobium hybrids which bloom all year long. We're just coming out of the hot season and entering the rainy season. I find matching colors can be problematic. My digital camera doesn't always give me the color my lying eyes see.

[Acharn]

Most of the old flowers have fallen off. The flower spike on the keikei hasn't started to open yet. I expect it should be pretty well fully in bloom in another week or so. It looks like there will be about a dozen new blossoms. The tip of the spike looks like it got blasted by something, otherwise it would have been as long as the flower spike shown in Kim's picture. Once it blooms I'll post another picture.