Tolumnia variegata seedling first spike - Orchid Board

estación seca · #1 04-09-2016, 09:09 PM

This came in mid September 2015 as a tiny mounted seedling from Olympic Orchids. I was not expecting it to bloom for some years. The larger fan is new growth since arriving here. Today I picked it up for the first time in a week and had a surprise.

silken · #2 04-10-2016, 01:44 PM

I will look forward to bloom pics!

No-Pro-mwa · #3 04-10-2016, 02:58 PM

I would just be a screaming.

PhoenixNakia · #4 04-12-2016, 11:56 PM

That is awesome! It loves you & what you do for it. And shall reward you with blooms. It's such a healthy looking little rascal.

snowflake311 · #5 04-18-2016, 05:12 PM

Tolumnia are the best. They are very fast to mature unlike many other orchids. I got 2 seedlings a year ago they were only 8 months out of the flask and they both bloomed for me. NOW that is it April I have all 3 of my Tolumnia in spike.

It is the best when a seedling blooms for you for it's first time. Congrats. can't wait to see the blooms.

estación seca · #6 06-10-2016, 10:18 PM

The tip of the spike died for reasons unclear. It sprouted again from the bract below, and here are this plant's first two flowers ever.

Tolumnia variegata seedling first spike-tolumnia_variegata_20160610a_seca-jpg

Tolumnia variegata seedling first spike-tolumnia_variegata_20160610b_seca-jpg

Tolumnia variegata seedling first spike-tolumnia_variegata_20160610c_seca-jpg

I previously posted on a plant I got from Andy's in December 2015 under the name T. sylvestre:
Tolumnia sylvestre

In that thread, samfish wrote of having the same plant from Andy's, not believing that is the correct name. I can't find where, but someplace else another person thought Andy's "sylvestre" is really T. variegata. I posted a close-up of my "sylvestre" in that thread:
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...0&d=1459469493

I think that plant from Andy's, and its flowers, look a lot like this T. variegata.

samfish · #7 06-12-2016, 03:25 AM

The plant from Andy's is definitely not Tolumnia sylvestris. Tolumnia sylvestris is a very small plant (1" fans), and has pink flowers

My plant from Andy's still has not flowered, so I have not made progress in getting a confirmed ID, but it is most likely Tolumnia variegata.

There are several other species/subspecies in this complex (Tolumnia lieboldii, Tolumnia scandens, Tolumnia borinquensis, Tolumnia velutinum, etc). This complex also has significant variation in flower shape and size within a a single species/subspecies, which makes it very difficult to ID based off pictures from the internet.

I will let you know if/when I can confirm the ID of the plant from Andy's. I have not been successful yet!!!

Pattywack · #8 06-12-2016, 10:36 AM

Awesome, such a cute bloom. I have a Sylvestris "El Gato" AM/SFOS that is much smaller than your plant. I thought the blooms on mine would be pink but I looked at the records I have from the seller and this Tolumnia has a lavender colored bloom. Still waiting for mine to bloom.

Recently added a jairak flyer "fantastic " and a red barry. Tolumnia are so cool. Congratulations on your first bloom!

No-Pro-mwa · #9 06-12-2016, 11:31 AM

So cute what ever it is.

estación seca · #10 06-12-2016, 03:50 PM

Just to be clear, the photos I posted to this thread are all of my Tolumnia variegata first-bloom seedling, which I got from Olympic Orchids.

I linked to another thread I started; that thread is devoted to a plant Andy's sells as "T. sylvestre" but seems not to be. That plant's flowers look to me a lot like my T. variegata first-bloom seedling.