Bloom Event - Phalaenopsis mannii 'dark' x speciosa and Phalaenopsis corningiana

I'm really falling for Phalaenopsis species and primary hybrids. This one is another cracker that I got from Schwerter back in March. It was the only plant in that batch to be in bloom, and the flower spike had been trained up a cane, presumably to save bench space and make packing easier. For this blooming, I decided not to support the flower spikes but to allow them to arch naturally, and I think the flowers are much better displayed as a result.

The flowers are very like P. mannii in shape and patterning, but the flower spikes are much shorter and bear fewer flowers (P. manii can flower for months on end). P. speciosa is the opposite; it has short flower spikes with flowers borne one or two at a time from the tip. The spikes can live for years.  It is a bit of a pity that the flower count of P. mannii hasn't made it into the hybrid, but you can't have everything. I guess its another case of not really thinking through what the parents are expected to bring to the hybrid.

I am growing this hybrid hanging from a wire. This is partly to prevent it standing in water in my trays so the roots stay a bit drier but also so the flower spikes can hang naturally, and I think they look better for it.

Also in flower is Phalaenopsis corningiana. This plant is a recent acquisition from a show about two months ago, although I forgot to do a new plants post regarding it. It is from a UK supplier but the original grower/importer was Schwerter. It has produced a flower which is pictured below. I'll do a proper blog post about it once it has settled in properly and put out fresh spikes under my conditions.

Its another one with short spikes producing a couple of flowers at a time over a period of several years. I love the markings and the shaving brush lip. There is a nice scent to it, too.