Harlequin Flower Variability

[Oscarman]

The 2 shots are of the same plant Dtps. Chain Xen Diamond 'Celebration' FCC/AOS. The first picture was how it flowered in May and the second picture of from yesterday.

Unfortunately this time around the plant sent up a spike which preceded to grow up between my lights, making it impossible to remove. Kinda got away on me....you know, been a little busy with a baby!

So those of you with more experince with harlequins - is flower color/pattern variation normal with them?

[Ray]

I think such color variations can be quite dependent on culture - temperature, light and nutrition can all play a role.

I had (note past tense... thanks for skipping that delivery, Mr. Propane <an) a couple of phalaenopsis hybrids I got from Parkside - huge, branching spikes covered with rich, golden yellow blossoms. The next time they bloomed (for me, for the first time), they were white. The next time pink! Later bloomings just kept on varying. I did get them back to yellow, but I'll be damned if I ever figured out what I was doing to change them.

[Wendy]

Ray already said it all....culture. Both of those colour patterns are really nice. I can't decide which i like better.

[Bolero]

I love both colour patterns and if you work out what it is you're doing to cause the variation (if in fact it is culture) then let us know.

It would make for an interesting discussion.

[Ironwood]

These are two blooms on the same spike of Phal. Everspring Light 'Montclair' showing quite a variation.

[littlefrog]

I have bloomed the Chain Xen Diamond in exactly the same way, it is hard to tell it is the same plant. Even with 10 plants side by side (I had that many for a while), there was substantial variation between the flowers of the same clone.