Spike or Keiki I - Onc Flexuosum

[blackvine]

Can anyone tell me if that little fanned thing coming out of the base of the big bulb is a spike, keiki, or just a new growth? Thanks!!

[reliablefool]

It is most likely a new growth/pseudobulb. It's a little hard to tell, but fanned makes me think new growth. I think the only time it is called a keiki on plants with pseudobulbs is when they sometimes (never personally seen) grow a new plantlet/pseudobulb on top of an old pseudobulb...where the leaves meet the bulb.

[PaphMadMan]

That is a normal new growth. On an orchid like this, each new growth comes from an eye near the base of a pseudobulb. This is called a sympodial growth pattern, literally "joined at the foot". Contrast it with the monopodial ("one footed" ) growth pattern of Phals and Vandas. In a sympodial orchid it would only be called a keiki if the new growth comes from the side or top of the pseudobulb, rather rare in Oncidium types.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2