Gongora luteola or flaveola

[Dorsetman]

I have two plants, one with each name ; I think they are the same thing, and I have not (yet) gone into the question. I don't think my orchid books include anything on this group of orchids specifically.
Very free flowering, especially the larger plant now shown here in the complete plant photo.I confess that the other pics were from a previous flowering, but no difference. Has had maybe 8 or 10 spikes this year in three distinct batches. I had difficulty getting it to flower at all, think I kept it too dry. So repotted into moss and Perlite - holds more water than bark and moss. When it did flower in the new mix, the flower spikes aborted ; then I started spraying daily instead of watering weekly ; bingo I got there. Flowers now getting slightly larger - from 3-4 cm in the Spring, to 4 to 5cm now. Also the flower count improving, one spike here is I think 13 flowers ; earlier it was 8 or 9.Also longevity . Was 5 days, now 10-12.
A difficult orchid to show - how can I take it even 5 miles through the traffic, with lots of stops starts, with pendant spikes ? usually gets there after losing a flower or two. But in the greenhouse it is a joy.
But wahat an amazing flower. What are all those twiddly bits for ? Something to do with the pollinator , it must be. Wonder what it is - a moth perhaps ? I can't even put proper botanical names to all of them !.

[catttan]

Nice colour. Not familiar with the genus.

[zainal abidin]

Beautiful, I like it so much, any fragrant?

[Dorsetman]

Beautiful, I like it so much, any fragrant?

When the flowers are about 2 days old, the perfume is so freely produced that it greets me in the greenhouse and I start hunting for the source. Now, after 5 or 6 days, I am not aware of it until I am within say 10 feet.

[Daethen]

I kind of like the twiddly bits. (And I LOVE that terminalogy) It kind of looks a bit like a bird in flight. Very nice.

[madphrag]

Nice Gongora, Geoff. I have Gon. tricolor that I bought as an pot full of divisions about 5 months ago. It's growing nicely but I get conflicting advice on how much light it requires. What kind of light has this one been getting?

[Dorsetman]

[QUOTE=madphrag;214500]Nice Gongora, Geoff. I have Gon. tricolor that I bought as an pot full of divisions about 5 months ago. It's growing nicely but I get conflicting advice on how much light it requires. What kind of light has this one been getting?[/Q

It hangs up in my greenhouse, near the glass , in a similar position to my strap leaf vandas , but being shorter, tends to be a bit shaded by them. If you are into light meters, I can stick one on the leaves and give you a Lux or Fc reading, but this is mid-winter for both of us, shortest day is next week, so light levels are at a minimum.
I do use Gro-lux,for supplementary light, but they cover the centre part of my 15 ft wide greenhouse, at bench level, and although there is a little internal reflection I don't think it adds much to what this plant gets naturally.
BTW another Gongora species looks as though it is just starting a spike, in the same kind of light. I'll show it, if and when....

[madphrag]

Thank you, Geoff. I do have a light meter and I'm growing exclusively under lights in a well controlled environment. As I said, I've only had this one for about 5 months and I want to keep it in an area most beneficial for overall vigor.

[Dorsetman]

Thank you, Geoff. I do have a light meter and I'm growing exclusively under lights in a well controlled environment. As I said, I've only had this one for about 5 months and I want to keep it in an area most beneficial for overall vigor.

I'll take some readings over the next day(s) as the weather changes and then let you have them. Our forecast for today is low grey cloud, but with some sunny intervals - but elsewhere on my hard disc I have readings taken at different times of the year - I'll dig them out.

[Dorsetman]

Thank you, Geoff. I do have a light meter and I'm growing exclusively under lights in a well controlled environment. As I said, I've only had this one for about 5 months and I want to keep it in an area most beneficial for overall vigor.

I'll pm you with my light readings.