Unidentified orchid in a bag from Lowe's?
 

Hey y'all! I need any kind of ID for my oldest orchid friend. I've been too embarrassed to seek help before now, so don't laugh too much... I picked up this silly thing at Lowe's in 2007. It was in a mesh bag and it was like $5. The picture was neat and it was cheap, so I got it, never having had an orchid before. Tossed it in some sphagnum moss, put it out of the cat's reach and it just did its thing.

As I learned more and more about orchids, it just lived there, growing more pseudobulbs and leaves. No flowers, no spikes, nothing. Ever. As it grew, I mounted it. When its roots were strangling the cork bark, I potted it in bark. I decided it was time to try to get a flower going, so I put it with my Mtssa. Nothing happened. Couple weeks ago, put it with my mini Catt. and the increased light just turned the new growth more purple. It's time to get over my embarrassing non-knowledge and ask for help. Here's a bunch of pictures.

Pseudobulbs are very much like onions: spherical with many small roots. The leaves are like my Mtssa., but slender and from the center radiating outward (sort of like a pineapple), 4-5 leaves to each pseudobulb. Leaves have pitted brown spots on the top side despite years of bi-weekly neem oil sprays. Foliage was always deep green on the dorsal surface and deep purple on the ventral, however is growing almost completely purple in the high intensity light.

My phals, Dendrobium spp., paphs, mini Catt, all flower regularly, but not this silly one. Won't die if neglected, won't bloom if snuggled.

I still have SO much to learn and would be really grateful for your feedback!

This is a really good link as it shows the leaves and pseudobulbs of the orchid and not just the flower:

Orchid Identification

Goodness gracious that's wonderful! All the ID keys I've seen are centered on flowers. Try as I might, I've never seen one specifically for foliage and pseudobulbs. I'm headed there straight away! Thanks so much!

I'm not sure what it is, but I'd conjecture some sort of Encyclia. At first glance it looks similar to a few of the cymbidiums, but the position of the leaves on the bulbs is "off", as are the basal nodes I believe. Sorry I can't be more help, hopefully the others will chime in.
Adam

Didn't work out on that one. :( The pseudobulbs are plump just like an onion instead of like a puffed up coin like those of oncidium. I'm positive it's not something too fancy. Perhaps Encyclia?

|Liberté|Égalité|Fraternité|Orchidée|

I'm leaning towards Encyclia, too, and it's much smaller than my cymbidiums. I've never seen a miniature or dwarf cymbidium in person before though. I may just let it be a spoiled wild child and grow however and whatever it wants. Most days I think the orchids grow ME instead of the other way around. :)

|Liberté|Égalité|Fraternité|Orchidée|

Looks to be an encyclia/encyclia hybrid of some sort. Many encyclia (not the formerly encyclia now Prosthechea plants) require a good deal of light to bloom. High end of catt and some can even take full sun in Ohio.

Naturally, you won't know for sure until it blooms out but my guess is that it just hasn't gotten enough light. That and maybe it wasn't large enough to bloom yet...some Encyclia can get pretty big.

FWIW - the bag baby pictures are often not the same pic as the plant that's tagged. I recently picked up a Trichocentrum from Lowe's and the pic showed a cattleya. Plus, the tag had it labeled as oncidium...which is the very old name. Don't rely on those pics to know what you're getting. Sometimes they are right but I've seen far too many that were great examples of the tribe affiliation but totally wrong for the specific plant.

I think an Encyclia as well. Like with cordigera in it or something similar.

Thanks for the input, Katrina! When I picked up this little guy, I don't think I had ever grown anything but succulents so it was just like, "oh. Flower pretty picture not need much money. Flower, I now call you Francesca de Normandie and now you my new plant live with me" in my best lumbering caveman voice. Now I have a proper garden, but all my Orchidée have names... because I'm that kind of dork... ;) I'm going to do my best to do right by Francesca de Normandie from heretofore with all the light I can find!

|Liberté|Égalité|Fraternité|Orchidée|

Cordigera are immensely fascinating things. I would be so stoked if it just grew a giant pseudobulb one day!

|Liberté|Égalité|Fraternité|Orchidée|

Maybe a Catt/Encyclia hybrid?

Looks like my Epicyclia Mabel Kanda

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...60bfd1af1e.jpg

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the pseudobulbs on hand

Whoa! My leaves are that maroon/purple as well! Grows like crazy no matter what?

|Liberté|Égalité|Fraternité|Orchidée|

Especially darker purple since I moved it to more intense light. I was worried that it wasn't getting enough light because the leaves were so dark, but when I moved it over by my Catt, it turned purple instead of green. That was what triggered my "what-the-hell?" response and prompted me to post.

|Liberté|Égalité|Fraternité|Orchidée|

Another vote for Encyclia heritage here!

Apparently one of its parents is known for getting that dark maroon color

Well lads and lasses, I'm going to declare this mystery solved. Case closed.... for now....

Thanks for your help!

|Liberté|Égalité|Fraternité|Orchidée|

bit late to the party but also betting for epidendrum / encyclia hybrid

Growth habit looks very like my Epc. Mabel Kanda x. Enc. cordigera. (okay, may not be Epc. anymore) The Mabel Kanda gives it a taller/leaner pseudobulb than the cordigera.

I agree with it probably not blooming due to not enough light. The foliage getting a purple tinge is a good thing. It may be too late to initiate blooming this year, but keep socking the light to it and maybe next summer.

Edit: Oops, SFlguy beat me to it- didn't see his posts. And good to know maybe some of my tags aren't out of date!

It does look very much like this. I put it out where it gets almost direct light from dawn to about 2. Is there any solid indicator that it is receiving too much light? Its growth this year has been bananas! I would love to see it flower some day... thanks for the advice!

|Liberté|Égalité|Fraternité|Orchidée|

I believe Epc. Mabel Kanda x Enc. cordigera is Epc. Serena O'Neill
I'm not sure what the difference between the two is

I think it is not Encyclia cordigera because the leafs of Enc. cordigera envelop the pseudobulbs; I think it is an other Encyclia, possibly from Brasil.

My Guaricyclia Charlie Brown (intergeneric hybrid with Encyclia in the parentage) is vegetatively similar. I think something "Encyclia" is on the right track.