What's this phalaenopsis doing?

[Raqsharqi]

This is one of my struggling rescue phals. It isn't pretty, but it is apparently trying to survive. I thought this new growth was just a side shoot or basal keiki, but I've never seen a phal grow leaves with that much space between the leaves. What's happening?

[Fiacre]

Whoa! I've never seen that before. I have no answer for you, I'm sorry, but hopefully someone will come along soon who does.

In my totally inexperienced opinion, it kind of looks like some crazy mutation. But it may be etiolated, or generally freaking out due to ailing. I have no idea. But it's really cool to see, whatever it's doing. I'm interested in seeing what the more experienced growers have to say.

[Raqsharqi]

Another angle

[RandomGemini]

Maybe a keiki? If so, it's quite large.

Wow.. really weird! Cool, but weird!

[AngelinaMaria]

Whatever it is, it's cool! I'm interested to see what it turns into. :-)


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[MrHungx]

Is the crown damaged? It looks like a terminal spike, but it seems to be emerging from below the crown, like the way normal spikes grow. If it does turn out to be a flower spike, you should probably cut it so the phal can direct its energy towards producing roots.

[Orchidgirl83]

It does kind of look like it started growing a flower spike, and then got confused and grew a keiki on the end of the spike instead of flowers.

[dangerouseddy]

Originally Posted by MrHungx

Is the crown damaged? It looks like a terminal spike, but it seems to be emerging from below the crown, like the way normal spikes grow. If it does turn out to be a flower spike, you should probably cut it so the phal can direct its energy towards producing roots.

its does look like the leaves on a terminal spike from the pictures i've seen and my own plant but like you say it looks like it starts below the crown so I dunno.

[Stray59]

From the photos, it looked like it started out as a normal bloom spike, but some aberration in formation has formed what appears to be a cross between a crown and a keiki. Really bizarre!!!!
It sort of looks like a runner - wouldn't it be cool if it mutated into a phalae' that sent out runners to start new plant-lets! There is no phalae', in my limited knowledge, that does such outside of "normal" keikis, so I am guessing you have some sort of crown damage and the plant is trying it's best to compensate. There is also a chance it is brought about by a infection, perhaps viral or bacterial, though I have never seen such before, so I really don't know. I hope someone can give a better idea of what is happening.
But a "walking" phalae' would be WAYYY COOL!
Keep the Board updated as to what it does.

[Raqsharqi]

If you look at the first photo, you can see it growing out of the area I might expect to see a root or a spike. There are no roots hanging off it. The crown isn't rotting or anything, and I thought it was going to survive just fine. I've never seen leaves on a spike, and I've never seen a keiki or a mature plant grow leaves off a long stem like this. Honestly, it is growing like a philodendron more than like a phalaenopsis.
I thought a terminal spike came up from the crown. Do they also come off the side?