Phal. Ho's Dream Jade x P. Sogo Circus 'Sun Prince'*

This 1 1/2 year old Phal* is in a 3" pot and has four distinct leads. Both of its healthy roots come from the main plant. There are no other roots.

The main plant consists of the two largest leaves and the three small leaves central to them. Plantlet #2 emerged to your right of the big plant; plantlets #3 (not visible in photo) & 4 emerged to your left, under the largest leaf.

These plantlets are not like keikis. It appears that some genetic twist endowed the plant with very active meristematic tissue in its "stem." Whatever ordinarily serves to limit a Phal to one main lead has apparently been turned off in this plant.

If someone on the forum (yoohoo, cjwatson?) can elaborate on this phenomenon, would you please share some of your special knowledge? :)

Sweetcicely

*RHS Registry shows the first parent as Ho's Dreamy Jade and the second as Doritaenopsis Sogo Circus 'Sun Prince'

The Phal was a seedling when I received it. The kind of sphag it was in stayed wet too long, and made me worry. It grew a couple of new leaves and stalled, so I decided to repot in NZ sphag.

Once the little plant was out of the 2" sq. pot, I couldn't get it back in, because its roots were fat, healthy, and long. It has been in a 3" pot since then (with NZ sphag, sm. fir bark, perlite, and sm. charcoal--3:1:1:1). The additional leads followed.

I don't know what the stress would be; it seems to be "happy." It only has two roots, but those are fat and green with pretty velamin above the media.

One root (scabby looking at its top) is facing you at the plant stem and goes right into the sphag. The other root (from the back of the stem) comes up from the pot bottom and emerges from the sphag at your left, behind the biggest leaf. Its growing tip just sealed off.

It's a mystery. Thank you for your thoughts.

Sweetcicely