Growth pattern of Pleione

[RosieC]

I bought a Pleione in the spring and I was told at the time that the old bulb would shrivel up once the new growths got established. I was advised that I should then 'pinch' the old bulb off.

Well it has two new growths which are swelling at the bottom to form new bulbs... BUT the old bulb has put out two new growths from it's top recently.

While chatting to Nicky several weeks back she said hers is doing the same thing, but neither of us knew if it was normal of not.

What is happening here, and is it normal growth pattern for these.

[Nic100]

Glad you've posted this Rosie - I was chuckling over my 'rabbit ears' this weekend while I was watering everything! Mine are still sprouting shoots out of the top of the old bulb! Crazy!

[RobS]

Yes it's nomal they are like the keiki's of Dendrobiums. The old bulb will still shrivel and the keiki's will fall of and can be planted in the pot (if they don't do it by themselves).

[Nic100]

Do you know what is sprouting out of the top of the old bulb??

[RobS]

A keiki or bulbil it's a new growth just like the ones from the side.

[Nic100]

Oh wow - I had no idea it did that! It's going to be raining pleiones here next year!

[RosieC]

Cool... I had have half a wonder if that might be what they were...

[Ray]

That's interesting. It was my understanding that pleiones grow from corms, not classic orchid pseudobulbs, and that they are sub-surface, not at the surface, as pictured.

My limited experience is that they bloom in the spring after a cool, dry winter dormancy, and after blooming the foliage appears, strengthening the existing corm(s), and developing new ones.

[Nic100]

Mine look like Rosie's now, but originally I burried the bulbs below the surface. I do think mine have migrated top-ward a little, possibly with me poking around trying to figure out what is going on... probably not wise, but it's kind of intruiging!

[RosieC]

Hi Ray, both of mine have a bulb like this on the surface and so had all the ones in the shop. The bulb dies off anually after producing the new growths (or that is what I was told) and as you can see in the picture the base of the new growths is swelling to form new bulbs.

This one did exactly what you describle... flowered in the spring and then the each growth has just ONE leaf which has grown and grown since the flower dropped (was just tiny when in flower).

I have a second one of these which is a species called maculata and that is autum (fall) flowering. Apparently they grow the leaves in the spring then flower late in the year. That one is also fattening on the new growths in to bulbs.

I was confused because I was told the bulb would die off, and it seemed to be growing.. but Keiki's makes sence.

I was told the autum flowering ones are from India, while the spring flowering ones are from somewhere else... can't remember where though now

This one is a hybrid called Red Poll but I don't think that is a registered name and can't find details of it's parents... it's certainly spring flowering though as i had a massive pink flower shortly after I bought it.