Zootrophion atropurpureum

[Tindomul]

Hello all,

I have this surprise orchid today. Well I had been seeing this flower for a long time now. I'm not even sure how long I've been staring at it. Maybe 1 or 2 weeks.
I didn't know that this was the flower!!!!!!

I thought it was some kind of dead pseudobulb from a Bulbophyllum or something. So I reached in to see if I could squish it, twist or pull it out somehow. When I touched it, and when it cracked under the pressure of my thumb and forefinger, I realized it was hollow inside. I took a closer look and my mental compendium of images came up with a match. Geese, am I embarrassed.

This is Zootrophion atropurpureum. This is the FIRST blooming for me with this species. Its ugly. I didn't expect that. Maybe it will look better in the future. At least the leaves are interesting to me.

I grow this in a terrarium and as you might see, its near my Platystele. I thought it wasn't doing so well in here and I made a cutting a few months back and spread it to another tank. It's growing better over there. Maybe what threw me off was the expectation that this cutting was dying on me.

Zootrophion atropurpureum-01 by César, on Flickr

Zootrophion atropurpureum-02 by César, on Flickr