Have no idea what it is, but it is pretty.

K

Some variant of Mtssa. CM Fitch, IMO.
-MB

Thanks MB
Anyone have any thoughts on Mtssa Sparking Burgandy 'Shive Island' or Shelob Everglades? I see those 2 from 1 vendor. Wondering how that plant got to my door.

Clara

Nice orphan!

Sharon

Looks exactly like my Bllra. (Tahoma Glacier X William Kirch) 'Maui Glow' from EOoM

How did you grow yours mine lost many PBs after it finished blooming?

Thanks Kevin & Sharon! Wish my orphan was Sharon's coryanthes!
Thanks Me!

Are you losing leaves or bulbs?

Bllra's can loose leaves and look scrappy as fall sets in, gives you a good scare. I cut their water back, wait until they get it back together and start to grow again. They don't seem to be big water guzzlers. For me BLLRA's aren't the easiest Intergens. Finicky. They try to slide on me every chance they get, little devil's. High light cooler temps seem to make them happiest. I will probably keep them inside next summer in A/C .

Honestly, Not a fun grow, as some "blind grows" can be, but fun to see a mystery orchid flower. I suspect being a Real Estate & Light Hog turned this guy into an orphan. If he's a twice a year bloomer, he's worth the space.

IME w/ Bllra seem to like it cool side of intermediate temps but higher light. The Bllra's stalled during august. Light 2500 fc's and upwards. Hard to maintain cool and very bright. I have it presently in a west window and an 85w cfl for winter. This fall the orphan threw a spike when the weather turned cooler. We had a very hot late fall, then it turned very cold very fast. When conditions got to high 70'ish day and 50/55 night, that's when he spiked. The Howard's Dream was also an orphan. It spiked in spring under similar conditions.

I still can't imagine that there may be an impatient closet orchid lover lurking in my neighbourhood. I am glad that the person dropped it to me rather than the dust bin! Mystery person, you have nice taste in colours! Thank you!

Clara

Well mine came to me in spike from EOoM and then when it was done blooming first the blooms fell then the spikes (duh) then the leaves then the bulbs.

The only bulbs left are the ones that didn't flower, all new growths compared to the ones that died. I keep a weekly watering, it did not look like rot they just yellowed and dried up. And no problems with the new growths.

So large, busting out of the pot orchid turned into about 4 small growths.

I wonder if they really pushed it with something to get it to grow like it did and bloom it head off and give up after that.

Beautiful flower, Clara. Good growing for this poor, lost soul. I find them tricky also. Mine are water-hogs. They perk up in fall. Me, I had that happen to one which is still just hanging on. I'm not sure what happened, but it went downhill fast. Had just finished flowering and I moved it out to my sun porch. Took a nose-dive. Only two old bulbs left, but it is still alive and I can see a growth starting. Very weird. Had this plant for 4 yrs.

Clara, your plant looks very healthy. Love the flowers,

Jane

There is a post on the discussion side at the moment about a Tahoma Glacier. Oncidium Help type of post. Opposite problem, rot, a Tahoma Glacier grown in a closet. Same outcome; total meltdown. Bllra are a pain in the ___ IME. Tahoma Glacier is at the top of the difficult list. They seem to have an extremly specific cultural tolerance.

I know what you mean about the bulbs. No its not rot, they just have a tantrum and turn into paper. (maybe too much heat?) You aren't alone. I include myself in the group of "Bllra shrinkers". 2 years in rehab for 1 Glacier. It started out like yours, big. Who knew? They look innocent enough. I can't imagine what type of conditions someone would need to successfully grow/rebloom a glacier. They seem to need almost a complete dry rest after they bloom. Cool, dry and bright in winter. Cool as you can get them in summer, dry, bright. Now that I am writing this; maybe its best not to touch them- Ever :-)).

I have a Glacier so hideous; it's named "Cujo". I will spare the board eye damage and not post a pic. A 4" pot would be a palace for "Cujo" ;-) Cujo has a wire Ninja style "ponytail" to keep his remaining old leaves up. The bulbs that didn't turn to paper are dessicated but hanging on. They look like tangerine skin. 1 bulb is burned. Cujo put out 3 dwafed/mutant growths in 2 years and is working on a 4th. The new growths haven't gotten beyond 3-4". They look normal but don't get any taller. Lack of energy that light and fertisliser doesn't cure. "Cujo" was outside in full sun all summer. (not a great feat in the City of Chicago) .Cujo seemed to like it; May, June and Late Oct. July though mid Oct were not good months for him. He was one of the last orchids that I took inside. Kind of what got me thinking about the cool conditions. I watered him twice a month in summer. (Lava rock s/h). I bring a crucifix and a garlic bulb with me when I water him.

Cujo is growing now. 4th mutant growth. Very bright, very cool, very dry. It makes sense for him to be dryer if he is a cool grower. I keep Cujo around for educational purposes and to frighten other orchids into growing. I doubt he will ever bloom again or resemble "normal". His purpose is that of a " conditions tester" now.

After the Cujo experience, I went easy on the orphan. I suspected it was some kind of cooler growing intergen. No sudden moves. Little water now and then, slow acclimation to higher light, watched it as the temps rose during the summer and fell in fall. The Orphan was not heat tolerant during summer. I pulled him in the a/c or shaded heavily on hot days. I didn't want "Cujo part II". He lost 2 leaves this fall (yellowed). Then stoped it when it really cooled down. We had a very warm early Fall.

Jane do you have a Bllra? The gorgeous Violet one? If so can you offer any guidance?

Me 171 I don't know your conditions but I don't water Bllra's even once a week. You would think it would be necessary with a west window and an 85w cfl. I give the media a good misting now and then but stick it in the window under the light and forget it. once or twice a month he will get a good watering. They seem very prone to root rot.

Still sorting Bllra's out; having Cujo around helped with The Orphan. Looking through all the photos trying to ID the orphan makes it really tempting to try it again...

Clara

I never knew what I was getting myself into when I picked mine up. I wonder if they would do better mounted?

me_171 Thats an idea! :-) Well worth a try. I had some intergens mounted up until last year. For me, the upkeep was too much. I was travelling a lot. I did an ALCRA and a Mttsa. The ALCRA had a set back, my own fault. A shame too, it has huge bulbs, nice plant. That will be another year. Not bad but that could have been a great plant right now.

Carolyn are you still out there? Didn't you have a Glacier too? Did you have better lexperience with it?

Clara

I would say too much uptake but I already have a few mounted and plan on ordering a few more. So it wouldn't be the only one I would be taken care of. I just take care of the mounts when I take care of my Masdies.