Several flowers.

Nick

The first, ie lowest flower on the stalk, is an imperfect flower. It's lacking much of the reproductive apparatus.

Nick

The next one up is a normal or perfect flower. It's not the one shown, that one is higher up on the stalk but it looks like that. This is a very common situation in Grammatophyllum.

Nick

Grammatophyllum elegans majus. Again, a hot grower from the Philippines. Makes much longer stalks, 3' not uncommon. This is it's first bloom not too great a presentation.

Nick

This is the first flower, imperfect and malformed.

Nick

The next one, better but lacking some of the reproductive structures..

Nick

What would have been the third flower blasted. The 4th flower from the bottom up, is normal as are all the rest of them.

Nick

I have 3 more species of Gramm. One is in spike the other 2 are years away. This is a hybrid between Gramm elegans and Bromheadia finleysoniana. It's called Grammatoheadia Boyton Leopard. Here is the stalk. Note that it has no support, very firm but I'm told brittle, ready to snap.

Nick

Again, as in all of the others, the lowest flower is imperfect.

Nick

A normal or perfect flower.

Nick

A bunch of them. Not facing the light but all over the place.

Nick

I'm trying to rescue one which my dentist was growing in a windowless hallway because he thought it didn't need light. Go figure! Isn't basic biology part of a dentists curriculum?

I saw it sitting in the hall, leafless and he asked me to take it and see if I could get it to bloom.

This was in January. I came to Garden Web for advice because I had no idea what it was.

It has been sitting outside in a pot, full sun and has done nothing all these months. Some of the older bulbs looked like they were rotting. I cut two off and they were rotten. I gave up on the plant.

Last week I noticed a small shoot from a back bulb. Doesn't look great, but it is alive.

I'll post a picture in 10 years when I get a spike.

Thanks for the info, Nick.

Jane

Grammatoheadia Boyton Leopard is very rich in blooms and rather spectacular.
Love those "tigerish" markings, on all of the posts.
Approx. How many years does it take to bloom?

Hello,

Beautiful blooms! A Gramatophyllum was my very first orchid I purchased from Fairchild Orchid Festival.It took five years to bloom and after that it died.I think my lack of knowledge on orchid care had alot to do with it.

Gorgeous blooms Nick!

Orchids are full of surprises Jane and one day it'll bloom for you.

Allymarie

They are reluctant bloomers. I have a Gramm speciosum which will only bloom on very large plants ---- if it feels like it. I think I'm looking at 10 years to life.

Nick

I have looked in vain for this in Brazil. The only time I ever saw one was in the Botanic garden in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It was growing in what appeared to be a gravel bed without shade in over 100 deg heat and was an absolute monster. GG again. Ian.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/orchidsbyeli/m.html?item=290644114465&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

These people in Porto Rico sell them. I don't know if you can import them.

Nick

Gramm measuresianum, a hot grower from the Phillipines like all the others. I have one more but it's just starting this year's new growth. This one again demonstrates the 'imperfect' flowers at the bottom of the stalk. It has a tall stalk with many buds, the bottom 6 only are open. Here is the bottom most flower which, like the next 2, is imperfect, lacking the reproductive structures.

Nick

The 4th one going up, like all the others above it, are normal or 'perfect' flowers.

Nick

One spike is now mostly open.

Nick

Ohhh, I like that.

Nick, Do they have fragrance? Joanne

I can't detect any fragrance, but I don't have a sensitive nose at all.

Nick

I got one in mail n finally

Divided to change pots, the stump thing looks like its rotting. Is this

I know that speciosum is often grown in the ground but I have mine on a large tree stump. Initially had it in the ground but it was getting too over grown and too wet; Should have moved it a few years earlier, it got set back a bit . Now just hoping it flowers before the tree stump completely rots.