Stanhopea wardii

[mycologist]

I have to admit that I bought it that size. It wasn't cheap but it did have 3 spikes (are they called spikes if they plow out of the bottom of the "pot"?) and loads of new growth.

Actually a spike is a specific type of inflorescence, and orchid people seem to use it in a much more general sense than how it is defined. It is a very useful definition for discriminating among a variety of plant taxa, but as used here it seems perfectly descriptive and so I have never pointed it out.

Here are some diagrams: Inflorescence Terminology (Part 1)

I my $5 dollar phals came with finished racemes, then developed pannicles after I trimmed the tips. The Oncidium seems to be going straight for pannicles. The Scaphosepalum is solitary and indeterminant. The direction of gravitropism is not included in the definitions (and the positive gravitropism is just cool and bizarre). Spikes lack the pedicel (the individual flower stalks) e.g. a Liatris (IIRC).

[Piper]

You win the nerd-du-jour prize. Congratulations!

Well done!

McJulie