flower questions

[kewpie]

hi, all...i have a few flower-related questions:

1. does anyone grow odontiodas? ive got a seedling cross that ive managed to bloom for the 1st time, but im not too thrilled with the flower. i know that flower form is supposed to improve with age, but what about flower spotting? this particular flower is wine red (like cycd. wines delight 'jem'), and has the tiniest bit of white on the edge of the flower lip.

i bought some odas because i loved the crazy spotting, and this one doesnt really have any at all...not even that two-toned business.

will the flower change considerably? i *did* grow it on the warm side (since its under hps light)...does that affect the mottling on the flower?

2. ive also managed to bloom my seedling slc. tangerine jewel 'vi' am/aos X blc. george king 'serendipity' am/aos for the first time. i *love* the colors on this one, but the dorsal sepal on the 2nd flower on each stem is totally floppy. on one pseudobulb, one of the flowers has a dorsal sepal that flops forward. on the other, it flops backwards.

any idea why this is happening? or if the condition is permanent or will it improve with subsequent flowerings?

thanks in advanced!

[MikeWA]

Your SLC flowers should improve the older the plant gets but...let me add the but... there are some uglys SLC's with bad flowers all around. If at least one of the flowers has good form and color then you will be fine.

As far as the Ondontioda.......Some of these can be really ugly. I have not seen color get any better with these at the nursery I used to work at. The form and flower count might improve but not usually the color.

[kewpie]

thanks, mike.

on the pot., there are a couple of good-looking (but what do i know) flowers. it seems that the 2nd flower to open from each 2-bud stem is always the better one -- a little larger, and with better form. im glad to hear that theyll get better with age.

im disappointed with the oda, but ill live.

[LJA]

Doubt too the Oda will change much. Flower count and size should go up as the plant matures, but color and pattern are there to stay, I think.