Root or spike? Spike or root? - Orchid Board

Fuzzy · #1 10-05-2014, 03:55 PM

Hello all. I got this NoID phal in July for my birthday and it came blooming. It is still blooming almost 3 months later (see picture) and putting out a new leaf! It has been standing on my window sill and the temperatures here have been quite cool (in the 50s at night) for the past 3-4 weeks. This past week I noticed a new growth, so my question is: Root or Spike? In general, can a phal that's in bloom put out a new spike? I would be happy with a root as well as this baby could use some new roots.

jocierk · #2 10-05-2014, 04:47 PM

Looks like a root to me.

Biohazard156 · #3 10-05-2014, 05:29 PM

I would say it's a root too :-) I've not had a new flower spike come from one which already is so far into blooming. Any new bits on mine is cause for celebration I think! Lovely flowers too!

Orchidgirl83 · #4 10-05-2014, 07:02 PM

Definitely looks like a root to me!

campchi · #5 10-05-2014, 07:07 PM

The green tip leans toward root.

tarev · #6 10-05-2014, 07:14 PM

Agree..it is a root.

Fuzzy · #7 10-05-2014, 07:20 PM

Thanks all. It looks like everyone is in agreement, and to me root makes more sense given that it's still in bloom. The reasons that made me doubt are the timing with the cooler temps and the location of the nub (right under the 4th leaf). Oh well, next time!

ollypolly · #8 10-05-2014, 09:05 PM

I'm going to throw a spanner into the works. It looks exactly like mine when it grew a new spike while still flowering. I'd had it a couple months and it had lengthened it's spikes and grown more flowers then it had two different looking growths. One was a root and the other was a spike which is now over 2inches long and it still has more flowers and buds to open.

Fuzzy · #9 10-10-2014, 10:00 AM

I have some updated pictures of this strange root! It's gotten a bit bigger, so it might be easier to see now what I mean. I'm a newbie, but my other phal roots did not look like this. If you look closely, it is almost like three bulges bunched together, like a cloverleaf. What gives? Who has ever experienced such odd roots?

Update: I've attached a zoomed in, marked up picture so hopefully you can see what I mean.

WhiteRabbit · #10 10-10-2014, 08:59 PM

Either a very fat root, or perhaps two roots.