Psychopsis Mariposa - Orchid Board

smartie2000 · #1 03-28-2007, 11:39 PM

My Psychopsis Mariposa ‘Green Valley’ finally opened it's first bloom

I don't know exactly what 'Green Valley' is supposed to look like because they vary so much in all the pictures I have searched, in shape, colour and patterning.

I think mine might be a selfing of 'Green Valley' or a mutated mericlone (or maybe everyone elses are?). I don't know how much each blooming can vary yet. Mine has 8 inch leaves so the plant isn't too large.

It's second spike is growing quite fast and I think there will a third one coming

It's fasinating watching them open! From what I observed, the three long antenna-like parts at the top are reduced sepals. And the two spotted parts on the side are petals, which have been modified to act like a sepal in the bud, since they are now the outermost part of the bud. Very interesting flower anatomy! If I can find a peloric one, my anatomy can be verified, since petals would be replaced with lips or vice versa (lips are modified petals).

I can see why they are called butterfly orchids now... It's column looks like a bug!

justatypn · #2 03-29-2007, 12:05 AM

That is awesome blooming. The second bloom looks like its watching you

. Great photography

Oscarman · #3 03-29-2007, 02:43 AM

Nice work Fren. Especially love the 2nd photo, great detail. Where did you get your plant from? How are you growing it?

smartie2000 · #4 03-29-2007, 03:06 AM

I got the plant from 'Tropical Gardens' from Toronto, you may have seen him on eBay.

I am growing it in a bonsai pot with coconut chunks. I read they needed to be drier so I thought a shallow pot would be ideal. I hoped it would always be in bloom and I would never have to put it away, so I used the decorative bonsai pot. It's on a west window and got suplimental lighting in the winter and was in spike all winter, but still did not bloom until now. I water around 4 days.

I noticed an asian vendor at the OSA show was also selling 'Green Valley's. I noticed all their mature plants were all different sizes and were obviously not mericlones, which made me wonder about my plant. My leaf span would be on the smaller side if I compared to the sales table. It's interesting that that there's so much variation in the pictures for 'Green Valley', I don't know what the original plant looks like.

Frdemetr · #5 03-29-2007, 11:19 PM

Wow, I love Psychopsis and yours is gorgeous! What is the plant/bloom size? Is the same size of Psychopsis papilio? 'Mariposa' in portuguese (and in spanish, I assume) means 'butterfly', same etimology of 'papilio'. 'Mariposa' is a butterfly that when lands put its wings in parallel to surface, but is not a moth; we call 'borboleta' the butterfly that rests the wings folded backward.
Frederico

smartie2000 · #6 03-30-2007, 12:23 AM

The plant is actually quite small. It has 8 pseudobulbs and the largest leaf is 8 inches, and there is still plenty of room to grow in the bonsi pot.
I don't know how large Psychopsis papilio is, but my bloom is almost 6 inches. I think that's around the size of papilio

phragguy · #7 03-30-2007, 09:18 AM

Very nice,I also nticed at our show there was different sizes that were bloming size with spikes.
Mine is a different clone and started spiking a month or so.
It only has 3 leaves with the biggest about 8-10 inches long.
Hope mine looks as nice as yours.