No ID - about to bloom - what should I expect?

[78Terp]

Looks like a spike to me!

[EllenGST]

This is still a mystery plant, but I should have a better idea soon. The buds are swelling and moving further away from the stem. We were away over the weekend and I hoped to come home to a blooming plant. It seems I must still exercise patience for this and 3 other orchids. My mystery phal is also about to bloom, as is a another phal NOID (the mystery phal was passed along to me by the same friend who gave me the oncidium relative, the other was a birthday gift from a friend.
And, my psychopsis is also going to bloom fairly soon. It had been stalled - flower buds that just failed to enlarge. It was also creating a new growth and looking very crowded in it's pot. I decided to take a chance and repot it last week. Left home for 5 days and came back to noticably fatter buds.
It is hard waiting and watching - if patience is a virtue, I think virtue may be overrated!

[Chris in Hamilton]

Those buds are rather odd looking (in a good way) for an Oncidium. Interested to see waht it is myself.

[EllenGST]

Yes, that is what I thought - I think this will be something more interesting than I expected. When I first saw hints of red, I thought it likely to be a Sharry Baby, and was disappointed, as I already have one. These buds are looking similar to, but smaller than, the Aliceara I bought in January, or the Miltassia raffle plant I received in March. I'm away again from tomorrow until Monday - am half tempted to take the plant with me to our other house, but am afraid of breaking the flower spikes. Forgot to mention that it is throwing a 3rd spike! Not bad when it never bloomed for its previous owner.

[78Terp]

That is why I have 150 orchids. Something is always happening or blooming or getting ready to bloom!

[PaphMadMan]

Going waaaay out on a limb here... Oncostele Midnight Miracles.

Hope your Psychopsis doesn't disappoint. They tend to like to be crowded and hate to be repotted.

[EllenGST]

To PaphMadMan: Re the Psychopsis - this one was way crowded - overhanging the pot all the way around! I only increased the pot size a little bit so that you can barely see the potting media. it had been in the same pot for about 6 years.
And I would be thrilled if you are anywhere near right about my mystery plant.
And, to 78Termp (Harvey) - I am slowly rebuilding - lost my collection to pests 20+ years ago. 1 year ago I had 2 orchids. I now have 17 and will continue collecting. With 17, I feel pretty pleased to have 1 in bloom (purchase sedirea in bud) and 4 in bud that I am bringing into flower.

[EllenGST]

Not quite - first bloom has a white ruffle at the bottom - photo coming.

---------- Post Merged at 10:25 PM ----------

the first flower has opened on my mystery orchid. I am quite pleased, even if I don't know what this is. i had expected something like a Sharry Baby or a Gower Ramsey - both very nice plants, but not very exciting. Instead I have something that's quite nice. It's a very deep wine red. When backlit (as in the attached photo) it is almost blood-red. There's a pretty white ruffle at the bottom of the lip, and white nub in the center of the flower. I'm very happy with this - for something that was given to me as an unknow it is a pleasant surprise. I do wish I knew a little bit about what it might be.

[Chris in Hamilton]

Nice flower! I'm not that big on Oncidium inter generics but I'm sure someone can help.

[EllenGST]

Isn't it nice! I wish more would open, and really hope I have several by next Sunday. It's my orchid society's meeting, and will be the first time I have something to show since joining in January.