L purpurata and Brassia Hybrid

[voyager]

The Laelia purpurata 'Sanguinia' has opened


When I mounted it, I was afraid that it wouldn't do very well. Was I ever wrong. This is its first bloom since mounting it. It is a large plant. The PB and blossoms on the right are at least 18" tall. It is supposed to be fragrant. This is only its second day open, could take more time for fragrance to develop.

EDIT:
I was wrong it isn't 18" tall. From the bottom of the PB to the tip of the highest dorsal sepal it is 26". I was trying to be conservative in my guess.

Then this Brassia hybrid has also opened.


After mounting it and the original spike fading, it produced a second spike from the original PB [The 2 gray dead spikes].
There is a second spike begun from the new PB. It's hard to see, but it protrudes from behind the trunk just above where the leaf of the new PB sticks out from behind the trunk also.

[WhiteRabbit]

Wonderful! The purpurata is amazing!

[voyager]

I can detect a mild fragrance from the L. purpurata this morning. It's vaguely familiar but not recognizable yet.

The ground under the path beaten through the brush to the Laelia is a very uneven lava surface and hidden from view by the tramped down brush. I'd have to tap the ground with my foot to feel where it was at , or risk an ankle injury getting back there.
I'm needing access to more trees. So, I'm starting a pathway through the ferns to access more trees for orchid mounts.

I've done similar in the front near the roadway, cut the brush down, then spread cinders where I want the path to go making it wide enough to get the mower down it. Then, I can run the mower along the pathway. Grass likes to be mowed, weeds don't. Grass will grow on the path, but the brush will need to be periodically whacked back to keep it from overgrowing the pathway from the sides.

Yes, on the ground to the left of the tree's base are some Spathoglottis plicata's and along the left edge of the photo are several very tall bamboo orchids. Their flowers are out of the photo and cannot be seen.

[Leslie]

Ah the unique problems of growing in Paradise lol... Well done btw!


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[voyager]

These yard orchids never cease to amaze me.
The L. purpurata has produced a seed pod.


I never expected this one to do so. But, it does bring up the question:
Is it self fertile, or is there a pollinator for it around here?
Either way, I could deal with this as a weed orchid.

[Pattywack]

Beautiful!

[No-Pro-mwa]

I will be hoping for weeds for you.

[Orchidsoutdoors]

Sometimes they can be fertilised 'by accident', for example when a caterpillar eats a bit and transfers some pollen, even ants can transfer pollen, or at least enough for the pod to set but you often don't get much viable seed from these accidental pollinations.

[Leslie]

I think for the Cattleya family, the only self fertilization occurs only in the C. patini/deckeri complex; maybe skinneris too. But interesting to see if the seeds naturalize in your area in the future!


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[Tindomul]

Gorgeous, the lot of them.