My Sunshine Ground Orchid

Flowering leafless plant

In the last Philippine Orchid Society show, I was convinced by collector Ernie Alvaran to buy a flower-less ground orchid he claims to have yellow flowers. He said it is Spathoglottis vanoverberghii,  It was sold in the Purificacion Orchids stall with 3 small bulbs and the grasslike leaves typical for the genus. Gave him the benefit of the doubt and purchased a pot. And when I brought it home,the next day I found that my pet rabbits ate away the leaves leaving only the bulbs.  I was very much saddened.

Flower detail

But a week after I found the bare bulbs bringing out not leaves but two flower stalks.  A month after it opened with the very first yellow blooms. After a couple of weeks, the ground orchid still continues to bloom with delicate sunshine-colored flowers.  Good thing I listened to good old Ernie.

I was told that unlike other Spathoglottis spp., S. vanoverberghii does lose its leaves before it flowers.  Just not sure if my rabbite induced the plant to flower after turning its leaves into dinner.