Malipoense are very slow bloomers. You are too anxious. They may stay in sheath and even in bud for months at a time.

OK, that's actually good news for me. I thought the plant had to be unhappy since it was progressing so slowly. Problem will be keeping this klutz from messing up and doing something to break the spike. I've set it into a larger clay pot to make it more stable on the shelf.

I guess this plant is also a slow grower. The growth in bud is a second growth, but there is no sign of a new growth emerging.

Thanks for the info.
Sheila :)

Aside from the fact that these guys have a ridiculously long spike/stem/whatever, they also have to inflate that enormous pouch. It's a lot of work. Patience young Jedi; you're doing things basically right if you're at this point. Now you need to get an armeniacum, a similar but lemon yellow flowered species with a shorter 'spike' and less wait time (still slow but worth the wait). And a bellatulum (my easiest of the 'hard to grow' brachy/parvi kids-mine bloomed twice a year).

-O-