Masdevallia Spike Question

[RandomGemini]

Where do the spikes grow from? I googled some pictures and I can't see any that show where the spike comes from at the base of the leaf. Do they always crop up from beneath the dried tissue at the base of the leaves?

I have a bunch of new growth on my masdevallia veitchiana and I wondered if there was a simple way to tell between a spike and a leaf.

Thanks!