Black spots inside Cattleya leaf

[Skycat]

Last night when I went to bed, my grow light happened to be shining on the Catt in such a way that it showed this (which only shows up decently in a photo if I DON'T use the flash). With the light from the grow bulb, you can see through the leaf.



What's concerning me is the fact that this stuff seems to be inside the leaf, and I have no idea how long it's even been like that.

It's in the other leaf on this pbulb, too. The other leaf has a huge blotch at the base which is clearly on the outside, but it's been there since I got the plant and hasn't spread, so I haven't been worried about that bit.



Here's how the leaf in the first pic looks with the flash on; you can only see the outside of the leaf this way.



This is one of the older growths, too. The newer ones seem fine, and the plant has recently started making a new growth. Is this a thing that happens to old Catt leaves, or is it something I should worry about?

[Leafmite]

I just don't know. The pseudobulb looks rather wrinkled so it might just be a leaf that has gone through a bit of stress. Hopefully someone else who has seen this can give you some good advice.

[LovePhals]

I always worry about black. I am no expert and especially not on cattleyas, but I would monitor closely. Like Leafmite said, it may just be stress. It's all dry right?

[daddydoall]

Mine look like that before they die and rot. Phal leaves stay green a long time after they are rotten. Maybe they were too cold and / or too wet or both as this has been my experience in my not very warm GH in winter. I'm keeping the Phals indoors now.

[Skycat]

Originally Posted by LovePhals

I always worry about black. I am no expert and especially not on cattleyas, but I would monitor closely. Like Leafmite said, it may just be stress. It's all dry right?

I haven't been watering it very often since bringing it inside for the winter.

...Now that I look at the pictures I took when I first got it, the pseudobulbs didn't used to be that wrinkled. I never actually noticed the change. Now I feel kinda bad, but the youngest fully-grown pseudobulb still looks perfect, at least.

Originally Posted by daddydoall

Mine look like that before they die and rot. Phal leaves stay green a long time after they are rotten. Maybe they were too cold and / or too wet or both as this has been my experience in my not very warm GH in winter. I'm keeping the Phals indoors now.

It's in my room, and the coldest indoor temperature we tend to get is occasionally into the low 60s (Fahrenheit). Usually it's closer to 70.

[LovePhals]

Well we all make plants dehydrated. it will recover. I meant the black spots are dry though right?

[Skycat]

Ah, yeah. The leaves are entirely dry and rigid like they should be.

[silken]

I had one with a big ugly black spot. I took a felt pen and circled it so I could keep an eye on it and make sure it didn't spread. It never did and I don't know why it was there. If the new growths are OK, I would just keep an eye on it.

[wintergirl]

Sometimes catts get black spots from lack of calcium. Not sure if this is the case, but something to think about.

[silken]

I agree. I was having that problem, and it seems like cal/mag supplementing is helping. The one I had with the huge spot came to me that way so not caused from my possible lack of calcium.