Phal Blue Moon.
Thgis actually P.Purple gem "Blue Moon", but Purple Gem sounds a bit tacky to my mind, and Blue Moon sounds just right.
It is a primary hybrid between equestris and pulcherrima. The shape is down to the former, and the early branching to form a multi-growth plant is down to the latter.
I would not normally want to show it to you until a few more flowers are out on both spikes - but I am putting it into a local show (Bournemouth OS) on Saturday , so brought it in to clean up. Our Show Sec says he is desperate for entries - we are all short of flowers due to our amazing summer we think - the warmest and sunniest ever recorded in Southern England. But I have had amazing growth too - some dendrobiums have canes 50% and more taller than ever seen before - and this on quite mature plants filling 8 inch pots, so what a flowering I can look forward to there, next year perhaps ; this of course is a classic case of jam tomorrow... as The Red Queen said to Alice ( in Wonderland) I think....and never jam today. But we'll see.
Going back to Blue Moon, it has not been awarded, although very many clones of Purple Gem have. Orchidwiz illustrates a lot, but no blue ones. I shall have to send some pics , but the submission date for Orchidwiz is annually, on September 1st, so I have missed the boat for this year.
BTW I think the flowers are actually a better blue than seen here.
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