Please identify this orchid flower

[Lin Goncalves]

Please could someone ID for me? I was told it's a 'spider orchid' - it's bloomed for the first time (nearly six years after I got it) - it was going to get thrown out (in Brussels) but I asked if I could have it - it sat on a window at the coast for a while, went on the ferry to the UK with me, sat on my sister's window in Wales for a few weeks, then got wrapped up again and sat in the airport terminal storage section while I went on to Canada - I collected it on my way back and it is now in my garden in Zimbabwe! Not before being chewed into two separate plants by a new puppy a few years back!!! Talk about being resilient!!!! The 2nd plant also has a spike coming along!

[ksriramkumar]

Many species are called spider orchids. not seen this species before.

[78Terp]

It's pretty and better traveled than I!

[PaphMadMan]

The appearance of the flower will change as the lip opens up fully. It is an Oncidium alliance intergeneric hybrid, probably including Brassia (spider orchid) and Miltonia, and possibly at least one other genus. It is unlikely to be able to get a precise identification because there are hundreds of similar hybrids.

[sddivey]

Looks very close to my Beallara Tahoma Glacier Sweet Sugar. Could be in that same family?

[Lin Goncalves]

The appearance of the flower will change as the lip opens up fully. It is an Oncidium alliance intergeneric hybrid, probably including Brassia (spider orchid) and Miltonia, and possibly at least one other genus. It is unlikely to be able to get a precise identification because there are hundreds of similar hybrids.

Thank you - any input much appreciated as I am trying to get all my plants labelled over time....there are three or four more buds opening, so I will get more pics up. Thanks!

[PaphMadMan]

Bealleara (now Aliceara) Tahoma Glacier is just the kind of hybrid I suggested, Brassia, Miltonia, and something else. In this case "something else" is Oncidium, thought the species involved used to be classified as Odontoglossum and Cochlioda. Thus the name change from Bealleara to Aliceara.

I can't find good pictures of Tahoma Glacier 'Sweet Sugar'. It seems to be confused with a cultivar correctly known as 'Sugar Sweet'. Looking at pictures of Tahoma Glacier I can see that all the cultivars tend to be variable in the extent and pattern of spotting, or randomly mixed up and mislabeled, making it pretty hard to make comparisons. No matter how much your plant looks like some picture or someone's plant there really isn't any way to be sure it is a match. It might not even be Tahoma Glacier. There are quite a few similar hybrids, though they tend to be all in the family, related to Tahoma Glacier or its parent Bratonia (Miltassia) Cartagena. But unless the lip looks different than I expect when it opens it probably is in that family somewhere.

[chingjervis]

Sweet!

[sddivey]

Yeah- PaphMadMan- you are right about the pictures and the spotting and name confusion- but it is all good- Still one of my favorites-

[Lin Goncalves]

I see the appearance is changing daily with the opening of the lip......our local Orchid Society Show is on this weekend - am considering taking it over for display only - probably not for judging - will see what they say when I drop it off - pity that today still only one bloom open.....the rest might open over the weekend during the show? Would be nice.