I rescued my 7th orchid yesterday from the sale rack at my local grocery store. In my excitement of the color of its remaining flowers, I didn't spend a lot of time looking at the plant itself. Now at home, I noticed that the top leaves were cut off at some point and the other leaves have some discoloration around the edges, and from below look much worse.
The roots look wonderful, and it has started creating new flower stakes from the existing ones.
Any idea if the leaves are effected by mesophyll cell collapse or something else?
The first photo looks like possibly a slight sunburn? But mesophyll cell collapse is a reasonable diagnosis, too.
Keep an eye on it, if it starts looking "watery", I would cut off the leaf.
It's a personal choice, but if this plant is in recovery mode, I would cut the spike instead of letting it re-flower, and focus energy on plant recovery.
I'm not sure that it could be sunburn because the grocery store I rescued it from only has a few windows and the plants are no where near them. I was thinking cell collapse because the deli is near the floral section, so it they were on a display near a refrigerated case it may cause this. I was worried it was something worse.
It doesn't look like a sunburn (but I can be in the wrong). From the way it look in transparency, I'd go for a bacteria or better, an effect of cold.
I'd cut the leaf now. It won't evolve in a good way anyway. You should keep it warm and with a right amount of light to help recover.
The spike can go for safety.
Apply cinnamon powder on the cuts once done with a sterilized tool (flame is your friend), and don't put some on the roots (if so, flush the unwanted).
I am hoping it is cold damage, but had it sitting next to an existing orchid in my east facing window for 3 days and now I have noticed a spot on a leaf of that plant. Could a bacteria infection spread that fast?