Is this normal?

[jkhom]

My Pleurothallis restrepioides which hasn't flowered yet, but is growing a keiki (I think). This plant is about 5" tall, I don't know how big they get.
Is it normal for them to do this?

[Tsuchibuta]

I'm not a pleurothallid specialist but I believe I read somewhere that pleurothallid's are one of the few orchids you can grow from leaf cuttings. I have never tried this but if it's true then it wouldn't be abnormal for something like this to happen if it was really humid and the mix was sour.

[kiki-do]

Originally Posted by Tsuchibuta

I'm not a pleurothallid specialist but I believe I read somewhere that pleurothallid's are one of the few orchids you can grow from leaf cuttings.

I've done this with a Restrepia, but not a pleuro. I can't see the picture well, but perhaps that is what is happening. I'm sure others will chime in.

[CoolPhrog]

I have a stricta that does this. No blooms but tons of keikis. I've read that this is normal. Strange thing to note as well, as other orchids require more light to bloom, it seems that pleuros do not...though I'm no expert with them....

[orchideric]

Your keiki is incredibly normal. Some species, including P. restrepioides, just do this. Don't worry unless every leaf produces a keiki - the usual culprit in that case is losing the roots - and some people simply keep growing it and the keikis flower normally because they have found the right root environment. Your plant is a little less than half its mature height.

Some species tend to chronically produce keikis - like P. palliolata - and that can mean they are being grown too warm. Often moving them to a cooler environment will switch them over to flowers.

Your plant looks happy. Don't change a thing. If the plant doubles in size and has 10 leaves without flowering, then rethink things. I used to grow and flower P. restrepioides in an intermediate greenhouse just fine although I admit I have seen more floriferous plants (clones?) in a cool greenhouse.

Hope that helps, Eric