Brassavola nodosa - two spikes forming?

[FL_Orchid_Collector]

They're bigger now than when I took this photo If that's not what I'm seeing I'm curious what I'm looking at.

---------- Post added at 03:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 AM ----------


Oh yeah, I got this photo - yeah, that IS what that is, I'm sure!

[Jeff214]

I don't think that's the spike - that's part of the sheath when the new p-bulbs are forming. The spike usually comes out from top of the p-bulb (which is hidden) or from the sheath for the spike.

here's mine that's piking now

[FL_Orchid_Collector]

Interesting... so looking at your photo it looks to me like the same thing but yours is more advanced. But then I got a Cahuzakara which I haven't made a dedicated post about yet. Anyway, it's a Brassavola hybrid and it has a spike on the way. The growths are much larger than nodosa, and I see the structure I have the picture of, definitely a part of the leaf sheath and nothing to do with the flower spike that's forming.

I still don't get why it's so fleshy and raised so high above the leaf. Oh well I guess I'll watch it and just see how the sheath develops and dries.

Now I'm seeing something even more interesting - the new growths have grown on top of older ones, not spreading horizontally, and some of the roots grew under a leaf and pried the leaf off which I'm rather impressed by but I never thought anything like that could happen - anyone seen anything like that?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by FL_Orchid_Collector

Now I'm seeing something even more interesting - the new growths have grown on top of older ones, not spreading horizontally, and some of the roots grew under a leaf and pried the leaf off which I'm rather impressed by but I never thought anything like that could happen - anyone seen anything like that?

A rapidly-growing (happy) plant will put new growths wherever they have the space, or make space. Likewise roots. This species can be pretty "aggressive".