Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike?
Login
User Name
Password   


Registration is FREE. Click to become a member of OrchidBoard community
(You're NOT logged in)

menu menu

Sponsor
Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.

Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike?
Many perks!
<...more...>


Sponsor
 

Google


Fauna Top Sites
Register Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike? Members Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike? Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike? Today's PostsBulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike? Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike? Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike?
LOG IN/REGISTER TO CLOSE THIS ADVERTISEMENT
Go Back   Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web ! > >
Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-12-2013, 08:45 PM
Watermelon Watermelon is offline
Jr. Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2013
Zone: 6b
Location: Northeastern United States
Age: 40
Posts: 4
Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike? Female
Default Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike?

Hello,

I am in need of some help figuring out if this new growth on my Bulbophyllum falcatum is a flower or vegetative spike.

It is emerging from the newest growth and appeared a few weeks ago and but has since stopped growing and is now just hanging out in a sort of suspended animation.

What is it? This is my first bulbophyllum (so she's, ahem , gotten alot from the learning curve) and I've had her for a year and a half now. She was in flower when I got her and hopefully there will be another flowering soon, maybe?

Thank you,
Watermelon
Attached Thumbnails
Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike?-bulbo-1-jpg   Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike?-bulbo-2-jpg   Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike?-bulbo-3-jpg  
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-13-2013, 01:54 AM
King_of_orchid_growing:)'s Avatar
King_of_orchid_growing:) King_of_orchid_growing:) is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Apr 2008
Zone: 9a
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 9,313
Default

I think it's a new growth. About 90% positive it is.

That's still a good thing. New growths means more potential flower spikes.

For Bulb falcatum, because they are a rachis type Bulbo, the newly emerging spike would be much more flattened or compressed looking. They would also tend to grow more vertical-ish than horizontal.
__________________
Philip

Last edited by King_of_orchid_growing:); 08-13-2013 at 01:57 AM..
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-13-2013, 08:13 AM
Watermelon Watermelon is offline
Jr. Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2013
Zone: 6b
Location: Northeastern United States
Age: 40
Posts: 4
Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike? Female
Default

Thank you King_of_Orchid_Growing!

I'll have to remeber that the flower spikes are more compressed compared to the vegetative spikes.

So what is the "growth sequence" for bulbophyllums?

On my girl she had just finished/matured the pseudobulb that this growth came out of. She was also repotted about halfway through that pseudobulb growth period - and she did throw out new roots, thankfully.

Do they keep shooting out pseudobulbs in rapid succession like that? Or grow a shoot and wait a little bit before finishing - just doesn't seem a good thing evolution-wise, leaving a nice tasty morsel on a stick out there for others to eat.

Thank you,
Watermelon

Last edited by Watermelon; 08-13-2013 at 08:18 AM..
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-13-2013, 03:23 PM
King_of_orchid_growing:)'s Avatar
King_of_orchid_growing:) King_of_orchid_growing:) is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Apr 2008
Zone: 9a
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 9,313
Default

The speed by which the Bulbos grow is dependent on the species you're dealing with. Some grow very fast. Others grow extremely slow.

But generally speaking, when they're feeling it, they produce lots of shoots for their kind.

They generally produce new shoots from mature pseudobulbs. The size of the pseudobulb doesn't matter as much as the maturity of the pseudobulb. I've had mature pseudobulbs that were stunted grow new shoots.

The new shoots will produce their first true leaf. True leaves will look distinctly different from the bracts they emerge from.

Shortly thereafter, the roots should emerge from the bottom of the new shoot. Sometimes on certain Bulbos, new roots may also emerge along the length of the new rhizome.

The true leaf/leaves will mature and stop growing.

The stem within the bracts will start to swell up from the water that is being brought to the plant from the roots.

The bracts will die back and dry off.

The pseudobulbs will swell up so much that they break the dried bracts/sheaths.

Pseudobulb mature.

Process starts all over again.

Whether the Bulbo blooms from new shoots, along the rhizome, or from mature pseudobulbs will depend on the species.

Blooming is seasonal.
__________________
Philip

Last edited by King_of_orchid_growing:); 08-13-2013 at 03:32 PM..
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-13-2013, 07:19 PM
Watermelon Watermelon is offline
Jr. Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2013
Zone: 6b
Location: Northeastern United States
Age: 40
Posts: 4
Bulbo falcatum - is this a flower spike? Female
Default

Thank you again for your help.

I think I got it now. I think I was overthinking the complexity.

So they grow like any other orchid - bud swelling, leaf, roots, pseudobulb, flower maybe if it feels like it.

I think the long rhizome that it has is what is causing confusion to me and making me think it has some fancy sequence of growth.

I am good now. Thank you for your help. I may be back with more questions but hopefully not.
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes epiphyteaddict liked this post
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
bulbophyllum, falcatum, flower, growth, spike, bulbo


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Phal Flower Spike Question labyrinth1959 Beginner Discussion 4 10-26-2012 04:42 AM
Paphiopedilum Maudiae (Flower Spike) Panino Cypripedium Alliance - Paphiopedilum 40 08-26-2012 11:19 PM
Damaged Flower Spike LuvPhals Hybrids 2 08-02-2012 11:39 AM
When do you take in an orchid when the flower spike starts to show??? katied Hybrids 5 09-29-2011 06:07 AM
Repotting when a flower spike is forming? jood Beginner Discussion 3 09-10-2009 06:19 AM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:37 PM.

© 2007 OrchidBoard.com
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.37 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2025 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2025 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.

Clubs vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.