Neobenthamia gracillis

[voyager]

Neobenthamia gracillis

I picked this up at a grower's greenhouse in 2014.
He was having a very enticing sale because of a lava flow threatening to engulf his place.

It was very tall and straggly, all bent over and woven together, obviously reaching for more light than it was getting.
It blossomed for the 1st time 2 years later, Dec. 2016.
I posted a pic here when it did.

I was expecting it to bloom the next year, 2017, to no avail.
Then, I thought it might be on a 2 year cycle like the Bamboo Orchids I has grown indoors back in AK.
So my hopes then were on 2018, until the eruption slammed it, along with everything else growing in the yard.
I didn't expect it to bloom in 2019 for the same reasons, ... sure enough, it didn't.

It had been growing vegitatively very nicely, so I got my hopes up for 2020, ...uselessly.
I had pretty much given up hope this year until I saw one of the plants begin stretching a bud tassel up to get ready for blooming.
Just checked, it is fragrant.

It originates from Tanzinia at 1k to 6k' of elevation just South of the Equator.
Maybe our 63*F winter temps are a bit too cold for its comfort, but because of its native elevation, I don't think so.
I'm hoping the thicket of accompanying plants will begin blooming next or the following year.
If I can get a bunch of these blooming regularly, they'll be worth the wait.

Because of the history with this one, I'm very antsy for it to bloom.
It's really too soon to take a pic yet.
But, I'm gonna' anyway, then I'll add another when it finally gets all opened up.