What is this?

I received this last March from a a secret shopper friend who attended POE. It's labeled Porpax elwesii, but I don't think that's right. Pseudobulbs have just recently matured and apical bloom spikes have been initiated and are elongating this very second. That doesn't match the bloom habit of photos I've found on the 'net for P. elwesii. Any ideas? Winner will be entered in a drawing to win a Justin Bieber lunch pail and matching pencil case. And... no begging. You know who you are.

 

I'll think about it.

No.

 

Thanks, botanist. I owe you a beer.

I'm sure we can work something out, Jon. I'd like to see flowers, though, before I start parceling out divisions.

 

"are those tiny?"

No. They're a little smaller than an American nickel which is 2 cm in diameter.

 

It sure looks like spider mites, but..... it's not. This plant is right next to the herpetarium which houses my tortoises on a sand substrate. Between them digging and the exhaust fan moving sand and dust around, things can get a little gritty in that corner of the green house.

 

This is the time of year when spiderlings leave their 'nest' or brood area to prepare for overwintering. They're pretty easy to notice in the green house after morning watering. When you mentioned spider mites this evening I went and checked the plant to make sure there were no mites. I did find a few tiny spiders on the plant, though.

I overhead water everything in the GH so mites have never been a problem.