phal leaf joined

[nenella]

.. The phal in question is the one in my avatar..its Taida Pearl elegant deborah.. the latest leaf looks like a Cattleya sheath...
has anyone had this happen to them before ?
I had my equestis do this last year but it was only joined at the 'tip' of the leaf and I cut it & although not the 'right' shape is OK and grew normally afterwards (leaf has always been smaller than those before or after...
what can I do to this as I don't see anyway of helping it normalise?
here's a couple photos :

[mayres]

I have another variation on the theme. Joined at not the tip, but the base. You have inspired me with your "surgical process" to try something myself. My new leaf was joined at the base to the extent that the next new leaf could not "escape" from the confines of the new enclosed crown. So it sent up a basal keiki which you can see in this photo. I just went into my orchid area and cut open the base of the leaf to see if the new leaf can now "escape"!?

[kmarch]

Ok, lets fix the mane: It should read: Phal Taida Pearl 'Elegant Deborah'. The last part fo the name 'Elegant Deborah' is the cultivar name. Cultivar names are capitalized and appear in single quotation marks as i've indicated above.

[brookn]

Wow, I have not seen a leaf do that, interesting. Mike, I bought a Phal (rescue type) and the new leaf had broken at the crown. When the new leaf came in it was getting strangled, so I cut the old leaf carefully out of the crown, and the new leaf where it had fused. The new leaf came in great, but are you ready for this, it is growing straight out from the crown. No matter how I have turned it to the light, still straight out from the crown. I am not sure what to do with it now lol. I also have another leaf starting, and I have no idea what this plant is going to do with it.

[sandra]

nenella, apologies for not being able to answer your question but I have a question for

Mike,

I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at in your pics here. The last matured Phal leaf looks as if it's not allowing the new growth to grow out from it, is that right? And if I'm seeing it right, why does this leaf have what appears like a long stem instead of fanning away in the opposite direction of the leaf that grew before it? It's confusing because it's not just the new growth that looks odd but the whole plant from what I'm able to see. Am I seeing this wrong?

Update:

OK, looking at it again....is what looks to me like this long stem, the base of your Phal?

[kmarch]

It looks like Mike's plant has one leaf with an elongated bract, the part that attaches the leaf to the central stem. You can see the leaf-bract joint just above the tip of the new growth. The other leaf bracts are all normal. I would think there's a good chance the new leaf that has started will grow normally. While tight looking, the bract is split down the length and hopefully will giveway for the new leaf to emerge.

nenella's "thing" is a different story. I'v never seen anythign exactly like this on a Phal although I currently have one Paph with a leaf growing out like this.

[mayres]

Yes, the small leaf at about 2 o'clock is the basal keiki. Hopefully you can see the near vertical knife cut I made along the axis of the mother plant leaf to allow a new leaf to hopefully escape? This will be interesting. I'm tempted to coax it open a little from time to time.
Nenella - keep us updated on your phal/leaf in the months to come. I don't have the answer but am sure curious to see what happens.

[nenella]

well guys it really looked 'glued together'....but the good news is....she's fine and has opened ! here's the proof ! apologies ....it really had me fooled as had never seen a leaf like this ...

message for kmarch: thank you very much for correcting the name & hope you have the same outcome on your 'funny' leaf as mine !

[sandra]

So this whole leaf was there and growing folded up? I didn't realize that's what it was from the first set of pics but anyway, glad it's back on track for you.

[11Orchid126]

I also had that happen to one of my phals. I was tempted to slit the leaf but I didn't. It continued to grow, and because the leaf was closed, no other leaves could come from it, crippling the crown. Eventually the phal sprouted a keiki on the side, and that grew into a whole new plant, while the crown with the tubular leaf slowly died. If that ever happens again, I'm going to slit the leaf.

[mayres]

I'm anxious to see if my splitting did the trick of "releasing" the next leaf. If it does I will post a pic.