Leaf on Orchid stem

[alterlautiva]

Hi! Nice to meet everybody, I'm Laura and this is my first post here.
I've have two phals previously (one of them still alive and sprouting new leafs, even though she's been watered about 15 times in the last 2 years and two or three of those times she was forgotten in a water bucket for a couple of days when watering). She's a true warrior. The first one died a sad, watery death because she was sold in sphagnum moss and I didn't know enough to repot her.
Now I'm trying to learn how to be a better orchid parent and I just got a phal on a local shop. She good roots (I'll repot her once her flowers fall, as the mix she's in looks almost like soil) and once I got her home I noticed this weird looking node, almost leaf like. I looked a bit online but it doesn't look like a keiki as it only has one large-ish leaf (1 inch), not two. I've added two pictures, one of what I guess is a normal looking node, and one of the leaf. Can anyone confirm what it may be?
And worry not for the health and happiness of both Compota (new one) and Otthild (old one), I'm going to seriously study the forum during this weekend, so that The Great Drowning of 2016 doesn't happen again

[rbarata]

Hello neighbour

May I ask you where do you live in Spain?

Regarding your plant...the stem (spike) is growing from the side of the plant or from the crown? I really can't tell from the photos.

[alterlautiva]

Hi!
I live in Navarra What about you? I love Portugal!! The arquitecture in Lisboa is so beautiful
And I just added another picture, where you can see the "birth" of the stem in the plant and the distended node at the top (which is what I don't recognize)

[rbarata]

I know Pamplona, I've been there once visiting a friend's grandmother. The other occasions I was just passing by on my way to Huesca-Torla (I'm a
mountaineering fan and went to the Pirenees several times).

Thank you for your compliments to my birth town. Now I'm living 160 kms from it (Abrantes- Ribatejo).

About your plant...the spike seems a terminal spike (that grows from the crown and means tht the plant has ended its growing). But, as that one comes from the side, it's a normal spike. That "leaf" is nothing to worry about.

There's this thread about Phal's culture. It has good info.

And welcome to the board.

[alterlautiva]

Yes, Huesca is a beautiful place to hike! I mostly go on winter, once a yerar on skiing season
I never heard about Abrantes before. I checked out a couple of pictures and it looks quite nice!
Perfect, thank you! Yes, it's growing from the lower leaves, in the side of the plant, not the center

[rbarata]

I don't think that leaf is a problem. Just normal growing. Some of these things happen due to genetics.

[alterlautiva]

Great! Thank you so so much! And happy weekend

[rbarata]

Happy weekend (extended) to you too!