Pecteilis susannae - FINALLY!

[paphioboy]

I'm glad it didn't blast this year... After a long wait of 3 years, it reblooms! No fragrance that I can detect...

A perspective of scale:

 

[Rick]

WOW:clap::drool:........

WOW:clap::drool:



(I had to go back twice after the shock of seeing this the first time)

 

[NYEric]

I had no idea the blooms were so large! Thanks for sharing.

 

[jjkOC]

Wow, amazing!

 

[John M]

Beautiful!!!

 

[paphioboy]

Thanks.

 

[Lanmark]

Stunning!

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

Very cool! I'm glad you took the shot with the hand for perspective; I never would have guessed how large the blooms were otherwise.

 

[likespaphs]

wowowow!

 

[mormodes]

I've tried and failed 3 x growing these from flask. My most favorite terrestrial. Joe Arditti's story about how this was named should be made into a movie. I'm sure it can be found in a google search. He wrote it in Orchid Bio 1 (I think) and it might be somewhere in the old OLD archives.

 

[SlipperFan]

I had no idea the blooms were so large! Thanks for sharing.

Very cool! I'm glad you took the shot with the hand for perspective; I never would have guessed how large the blooms were otherwise.

I agree!

What a fantastic flower! It looks like it's carved out of wax.

 

[W. Beetus]

Nice white!

 

[Clark]

#6 is a wild look.

Your palm says- send one of those Phals. to New Jersey.

 

[Stone]

Just beautiful!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

I hope mine flowers this year. One of the most outstanding features of this species is the size of the flower - it is surprising the first time you see it in person.

 

[paphioboy]

Thanks all for the comments.

One of the most outstanding features of this species is the size of the flower - it is surprising the first time you see it in person.

Tom, how nice to hear from you again. I don't see you on this forum often enough. Susannae is difficult to find here. I suspect primarily because collectors or hobbyists do not know how to maintain it for long periods of time (dry dormancy requirement). This plant is the only one I have ever seen offered for sale anywhere. I have never seen any in competitions, despite being involved in orchid-growing for over 10 years now..

 

[cnycharles]

I thought Michael Ooi had them and medusae for sale... I bought my medusae tubers from him a few years ago, but I think mine dried out too much and it isn't coming up again this year. I bought it through someone else who visited the redland orchid festival in miami. I have too many plants... the medusae wasn't hard to take care of and it shouldn't have died, just too many distractions

 

[Chuck]

A wonderful flower.

 

[paphioboy]

I thought Michael Ooi had them and medusae for sale... I bought my medusae tubers from him a few years ago, but I think mine dried out too much and it isn't coming up again this year.

Maybe he does, but are you sure they are artificially-propagated? If this species is truly as common as claimed to be, I would have seen them for sale more often. This species is threatened due to habitat destruction and over-collecting for sale.

 

[paphioboy]

All open now:

Whole plant (1 meter in height from the base of the plant to the tip of the spike). Definitely not one for the windowsill...

White on white: