Calanthe triplicata

[lambelkip]

no, we've just had some strange weather this year. we had a bit of winter weather come back in late spring, and it started spiking.

[Bloomin_Aussie]

Originally Posted by glengary54

That's amazing, mine don't normally flower until late fall early winter. Does yours always bloom at this time of the year?

Originally Posted by lambelkip

no, we've just had some strange weather this year. we had a bit of winter weather come back in late spring, and it started spiking.

I was going to say you've acclimatised it nicely but perhaps it is just coincidence. They naturally flower at the hottest time of the year and in fact in Australia they have become commonly known as the Christmas orchid because they flower in December (which is the middle of summer for us).

[lambelkip]

well, it's the hottest part of the year now, so maybe it is finally acclimated. or maybe, it was the sudden increase in temperatures after the cold spell that caused it to spike. I haven't really had it long enough to see a pattern, so we'll have to see what it does next year.

[pheli]

It is a native orchid here. Some of the grown or wild plants are blooming recently.

[shadytrake]

It's beautiful.

[greenbean]

Beautiful! I like the big lush leaves almost as much as the flowers!

I was recently given a start of Calanthe, but the owner didn't know which plant it was from. These have an interesting habit of forming pseudobulbs that can break easily in the middle to fall and start new plants. Can't wait to find out which it is!

[lambelkip]

Evan, only the deciduous Calanthes have breakaway pseudobulbs like that. I would even go so far as to say that your plant is probably Calanthe rubens. Calanthe triplicata is evergreen, and has short, almost spherical pseudobulbs.

[glengary54]

Originally Posted by greenbean

Beautiful! I like the big lush leaves almost as much as the flowers!

I was recently given a start of Calanthe, but the owner didn't know which plant it was from. These have an interesting habit of forming pseudobulbs that can break easily in the middle to fall and start new plants. Can't wait to find out which it is!

Evan - What color are the flowers on yours?

[greenbean]

Thanks Kip! I know only the decidious ones do the breakaway pbulb thing. I keep forgetting though, as I've only recently been introduced to this genus.

Glen, mine hasn't bloomed yet. It was literally given to me as a new shoot growing from a broken pseudobulb just lying on a greenhouse bench, sort of like a keiki. The plants in that house had been shuffled and relocated and the only Calanthe in that house at the time was triplicata, which Kip just said doesn't form breakaway pseudobulbs. I'll just have to wait until next year, if I grow it well, for it to bloom!

[sii]

Beautiful! Have never seen this before.