Phal leaf shape
 

Hello,

I have a question regarding the shape of a new leaf on a Phal Schilleriana. I bought a seedling from Tamiami and it has since grown nice new roots and mid Feb started to grow a new leaf as well. The new leaf looks healthy and I think it will end up longer than the old ones, however it is much narrower than the previous ones. Any thoughts on why that is? My theory is that it may have to do with light but I am not sure because other phals on the same shelf have nice roundish leaves. Why do wiser and more knowledgeable heads think?

fine to me. I suspect it will broaden out over time.
I had a Phal start anew leaf that had an unbelievable point on the end of it. Must have been 3" long. 6 months later and it looked absolutely normal.

Yep, what Keysguy says. ^^ Patience is always key in the orchid world. :D

Knowing when to be patient and when to act is just as important :)

I am convinced that both genetics and culture play roles in leaf shape.

Is it because the initial leaves of seedlings just do that sort of thing? That is, first few leaves maybe generally appears oval shaped. And the less juvenile it becomes --- the longer and more elongated the leaves will get.

For example ---- Click Here.

I agree about genetics. It will be a combination of genetics and growing conditions. Genetics is a key factor here. But also - growing conditions will naturally play a significant role in leaf formation.

I have several Phal. schilleriana... with different leaf shapes and patterns, growing under the same conditions, and about the same size. So likely at least partially genetic. Just sit back and watch the show...

phal culture is huge in impacting the shape of the leaves...
I'll grab some pics of my weirdest rescue leaves and you'd be blown away, sideways, upside-down, leaning vertically to get light, you name it

Well, I have some phals that I've had for many years that are getting a more rounded leaf shape in their old age, so it's not just seedlings that change their shape. I imagine my culture changes somewhat over time, depending on how often I water and where the plants are in the house. It's a mystery to me, though.

I’m not sure what all affects it, but my plants that look to have a fair amount of P. schilleriana in their background seem most prone. I think it’s at least partially due to light. The plant pictured shows the more rounded leaf it grew before I bought it, the long leaf after I bought it, then I moved it to a slightly brighter location and the new leaf (still tiny in the photo) grew intermediate in form between the two older leaves.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...406a4b25_z.jpg

I have a few Phals that do that as well, and noticed that it seems related to the amount of light they get. In brighter light the leaves are narrower since it needs less surface area to capture the same amount of energy as a wider leaf. I non-scientifically tested this by putting a plant (a schilleriana cross) in a bright spot for 1 leaf growth and a shady spot for the next leaf. The first leaf was narrow and the second was wide. N=1, so I can't exclude other cultural factors which may have varied.

“Old timers” told me “round leaves, round flowers”, so when selecting seedlings I chose rounder ones. Is that true? Got me.

these are weird Phal leaves from light orientation, being in a bag, being moved, and other unknown factors.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...01b2f67_4k.jpgPhal leaves by J Solo, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c47353e_4k.jpgPhal leaves by J Solo, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6234eeb_4k.jpgPhal leaves by J Solo, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c76a34f_4k.jpgPhal leaves by J Solo, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f5ab48c_4k.jpgPhal leaves by J Solo, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2d604c3_4k.jpgPhal leaves by J Solo, on Flickr