Bulbophyllum vaginatum

[Dorsetman]

I suppose this is in the same group as B.medusae - the famously stinking orchid , but this one is quite innocuous - so obviously not pollinated by carrion flies. Like most of the smaller bulbed bulbophyllums, makes a nice specimen plant in a few years, given the usual tlc , although I find that most of them do not give commensurate results if allowed to grow too big. My Elizabeth Ann 'Bucklebury' FCC regularly had a dozen spikes when it lived in a 10 inch plant saucer, but by the time it was up to a 15 inch one ( and getting seriously heavy) it always seemed to have one or two spikes but never more than half a dozen at a time - eventually I split it up, kept half a dozen 6 inch pots to start again, and took a sackful of 3 or 4 bulb pieces along to my orchid society and said - "help yourself" ( too many to think of selling, or puttingin the annual auction) - but I gained a quite a lot of new friends the night I did that...

[Dorsetman]

p.s. That is a seven inch pan - eight spikes.

[TwoStems]

Pretty neat Thanks for sharing!

[panam]

Goodness, they look almost like heads of grain!

Your story almost makes me want to move to jolly old England so I can join your orchid society. If only it wasn't so cold up there...

[Brutal_Dreamer]

p.s. That is a seven inch pan - eight spikes.

WOW! That is amazing. What a beautiful orchid specimen.

Cheers,
BD