Spike or Keiki?

[whalloper]

Hello everyone,

I have a few that are just spiking, and this looks different to me. This is on a Phal Ming Hsing Yellow boy which already has one basal keiki. Ive never seen a basal keiki forming so I wouldnt know what to look for. Thanks for your opinions!!

[englandfx]

My bet is that it is a spike

[exotic.plant]

I think that's keiki

[kmarch]

I'd vote neither. I think it is just another new growth starting from the base of the plant.

[Stelios]

i'm with Kevin on this, it looks just like how my yellow noid phal looked and it turned out to be a basal new growth.

[Stelios]

it might be just a myth but yellow phals are supposed to do that very often.

[whalloper]

Originally Posted by kmarch

I'd vote neither. I think it is just another new growth starting from the base of the plant.

Ok, Im not going to try to know the difference between a keiki and "another new growth" so can I ask what is the difference?

[lmartiny]

That is exactly what I was going to ask.
On the "Phal spiking yet" thread I posted a new growth that looked kind of chunky and seemed low for a spike and thought I would be a keiki. It since turns out it is a spike. (pretty sure)

[mayres]

We've been through the subject/discussion once previously as to whether a basal "growth" on a phalaenopsis should be called nothing more than a "growth" or a "keiki". The reality is that no matter how much some people disagree as to what the terminology SHOULD be - it is called BOTH by newbies and orchid authorities alike. Whether it comes from a node on a flower spike or a basal growth the potential end result is the same - an exact genetic duplicate of the mother plant..... I vote for calling either whichever you like - unlike Kevin I choose to call the basal growth a keiki like the spike "growth".

[Brooke]

Since keiki is the Hawaiian word for baby, I suspect taxonomists did not use this word when originally describing any orchid. I think we the general public use it as a term of convenience to describe a growth from an unusual location.

Brooke

[rcb]

Brooke, I think you are correct. As I was struggling in another thread to define what a keiki was, I actually dug out my handbook called Descriptive Teminology for the Orchid Judge - it basically defines all the words used to describe orchids.

This is what they have for keiki - Hawaiian, meaning an immature plant, offshoot or new growth - not much help huh?

But I agree the common usage of the word is as you wrote.

BTW interestingly the plural for keiki is keikes.

[whalloper]

So, whatever you want to call it eventually has the ability to grow roots of its own and flower, correct? If its not a spike haha

[shaz]

I vote spike...but either way it's exciting

[trinigirl]

It is sort of shaped like a spike, which was my first guess.

After looking some more, I guess a new growth, or keiki, or whatever they're calling it.

The new growth is lower down than the existing spike, and also lower than the other keiki. I don't think spikes form lower down, I've never seen it happen. I've always seen new spikes form higher up than the previous ones.

[whalloper]

Originally Posted by shaz

I vote spike...but either way it's exciting

Yeah I guess youre right!!!

[elitebettas]

I say spike, spikes always arise from the side of the plant (axil between leaves or where they would be if the plant had leaves in that particular area), roots can form anywhere

[krpot]

is this a keiki on my phal I think I see a little leaf up there?

[mayres]

Hard to see as the pic is out of focus, but it looks like it. Just allow it to continue to grow and it will eventually start growing roots as well. When they are about 1.5-2 inches long you can remove and put it up as a "free" duplicate of the mother plant! Have fun!