Will These Ever Flower
 

I have noticed many of my Paphs are growing new fans from within the inter-leaf area of the old fan rather than growing out from the base as I would expect. My questions are: 1) Is this normal or have I done something wrong and/or is this a stress related situation and 2) If this is just a normal variant, will these new fans flower at some point down the road?

Several of mine are doing that too, Howard. The leaf they're growing out of will eventually die, as it is the oldest one on that fan. I look at it this way, as long as they are growing at all, I'm happy.

Kim

My first one did this on the fans that grew soon after I bought it. Those two fans are now both in flower and it's grown others, some from the base some from between folds of existing fans. It doesn't seem to to afect it where they grow from.

Howard, almost all of mine grow this way and they are blooming fools. Nothing at all to worry about. :)

Just to continue the theme, my Delenatii is doing this from both sides of the oldest fan as well as putting out separate growths. As a result, the oldest fan looks quite 'heavily laden' as it's got two coming out from the fan each side plus an new leaf coming out the top! Just as well the foliage is pretty!

lateral meristems form at leaf axils, always. in many sympodial orchids, they are forming along the rhizome at the axils of leaves that are reduced to sheathing bracts, but rest assured, it is a botanical universality that apical meristem is at the end of a stem and lateral meristem is at the base of a leaf axil. In fact, if you remove the bracts from the psuedobulb of a cattleya or dendrobium or whathaveyou, there are meristematic zones at the bases of those bracts, where the main bract vein attaches to the stem. Most of the time, these do not develop unless major damage occurs to the primary growth eyes. In such cases, hormones are redirected to stimulate keiki formation along the cane. Perfect example of this is the ability to propagate C. bicolor and related cattleyas relatively easily from cane cuttings.

Personally, i just think you should be glad your plants are happy enough that they are holding those lower leaves so long.

-Cj