What's with these odd growths on my D. kingianum??
 

I've had this Dendrobium kingianum for about 3 months, in S/H outdoors (in San Francisco, good climate for them).

The bloom spikes died out after the first few weeks, and then new growths, black and pointy, started on the tips of the stems where the spikes had been. Here I am all newbie assuming this is all probably normal and it's just going into a growth phase and getting taller, but... then I notice all of these growths are oddly bulging at the base, and a lot of them look like they're starting to grow roots!

Attachment 84034

This plant has about a dozen stems (canes? Or whatever I should call them?). 10 of them have these growths, from 1" to 3". 7 more fresh fat black tips that look very similar are pushing up out of the hydroton in the pot, up to 4" or so, I'm guessing those are normal new stems, but it's the tippy-top ones that puzzle me.

What is this? Keikis on every stem? Is that common? Is the plant dying and trying to jettison life pods or something??

That pic is pretty bad, let me see if I can get any better shots...

Attachment 84035

Attachment 84036
(there are five or so in this shot, though looking straight down on them they're a little hard to see)

Attachment 84037

I think you might have keikis.
I know den.s can produce keikis.
And some produce more and others. Some produce none their entire life and others produce many. It's in the genes.

Those are keikis! I don't know about others but my Kingianum produced lots this spring. I think it is quite common for them. Once they grow roots you can snap them off and pot them up to give to someone! I potted up 3 pots full last winter and donated them to our silent auction at our society this spring!

you have keikis (babies); some are basal keikis and most are growing out with the spikes...it is strange that is coming out dark....my Den. kingianum keikis are usually light green....wait until the roots are 3 to 5 inches long then you can twist them off and bury them with the mother plant

Yes, keikis. Normal for this species. They can bloom while still small if left on the parent.

Mine is doing the same. I leave the Keikis on the plant and am getting close to as cascading effect as I have multiple layers of this kind of growth. I've seen a very large one doing this that was spectacular. Bud spieks will form at the junction and on the new growth so it puts on quite a display.

Sometimes on the Keikis will break off and then I just poke them into the pot wherever there is space. This Den really likes to be pot bound for optimum flowering. Also a "dry" spell in fall/early winter will help.

It might depend on the plant. Mine looked a very dark reddish purple when they stated. Now the leaves of the keikis look normal. Also light level may bring out the purple colour.

Wow, okay! I had no idea keikis could show up in such proliferation. It's hard to find a stem on this plant that doesn't have one.

And THAT right there sounds like an awful lot of fun! :D
This one is getting quite a bit of light-- it's got some sunburn actually from before I pulled it farther back in the patio. It gets a few hours of direct sun in the evening.

All the new growth on my kingi starts off looking purplish (new canes, keikis, spikes).

These can actually take a pretty fair amount of light. Mine gets sun all morning. But you probably should watch for burn in afternoon light during very hot weather.