Phal. mannii
I declined several dinner invitations yesterday, because I really wanted a quiet day of rest. It was lovely - I got caught up (somewhat) on my watering, finished a good book, practiced for awhile, and otherwise just puttered around here doing whatever I wanted.
I was surprised at how many of my orchids are spiking or budding. I knew this guy was in spike, but the buds were so small, I wasn't expecting anything for a week or two yet. Low and behold, it started to open yesterday. The flower should still grow in size for a few more days, but it won't be a big flower. Right now it's only an inch across (almost double yesterday's size!) It's amazing how many of the Phal species are so small, yet breeders have managed to create such huge hybrids!
Phal mannii grows in Northeast India, Nepal, and China to Vietnam. Flower color and form can vary. Some flowers are almost solid reddish-brown. I'm very happy with this guy, because you can see the cross-barring on the inside of the lower sepals. It reminds me of the feathers in a birds wing.
The lip structure is also impressive, but it's hard to see because it's so small. When more flowers are out, I'll do a photo shoot and see if I can capture it.
I also snapped a quick pic of Phal Aurelia Franklin, the thoughtful gift from Steven in Idaho! Two of the middle buds blasted after it arrived, but the first two are blooming and there are more to come!
McJulie
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