Spike growing in a serpentine - Orchid Board

Manu · #1 01-15-2018, 01:57 PM

I moved one of my FDK After Dark Black Pearl from the windowsill to under my lights. This one grew under my lights all summer until it matured its growth in October. I moved it to the windowsill to provide colder temps, but also because I had no more space on my shelves under lights. As the spikes got longer and it dropped it's
leaves, I moved it back to the shelves to accomodate the spikes as it would of hit the window and have no place to go. When I moved it, it had no buds yet, so I assumed the change in light orientation from front to above wouldn't impact the bud orientation. Well, the buds all seem to be presenting themselves ok, but the spike is growing in a serpentine... Not sure what it will look like by the time they open, but certainly a weird looking spike.

isurus79 · #2 01-15-2018, 03:02 PM

Very bizarre! My first thought was a moving light source or rotating plant position. Sounds like that's not the case.

Manu · #3 01-15-2018, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isurus79

Very bizarre! My first thought was a moving light source or rotating plant position. Sounds like that's not the case.

The light source is directly above the plant as seen below and wasn't turned around or moved at all after relocated from the windowsill.

It used to be next to these guys in the windowsill, but got moved when the spike was quite small with no buds on it.

I'm thinking that the amount of light received at the tip of the spike is much lower then a few inches back, so it probably turned around to go towards the higher light source. I've never seen spikes react as much as that. Often buds will turn to face the light but the spike will continue growing somewhat in the same direction. I don't grow many Catasetinaes and this is the first year they bloom for me (got these as seedlings last year, so didn't really know if this is a common behaviour.

JScott · #4 01-15-2018, 03:38 PM

I think that is called "fasciation", and I think it is caused by random hormonal changes, or something. I'm not totally sure. But I think it is random and there isn't anything you could or should have done differently.

Manu · #5 01-15-2018, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JScott

I think that is called "fasciation", and I think it is caused by random hormonal changes, or something. I'm not totally sure. But I think it is random and there isn't anything you could or should have done differently.

Wow that's fascinating, I'll have to read up on that! Thanks!

camille1585 · #6 01-15-2018, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JScott

I think that is called "fasciation", and I think it is caused by random hormonal changes, or something. I'm not totally sure. But I think it is random and there isn't anything you could or should have done differently.

That's what I was going to post, it looks like something physiological. I've seen something similar on a none orchid plant, just not so extreme!

Dollythehun · #7 01-15-2018, 07:13 PM

Isn't fasciating when there is a double or thickened flower stem, with double the amount of buds? I often see this in Lilium. I guess it fits the definition.

Fasciation - Wikipedia

Manu · #8 01-15-2018, 08:51 PM

Shouldn't fasciation involve some sort of malformation?

After reading about it and seeing a few images of non orchids that had that, I'm not convinced that's what it is, but could very well be wrong. The AOS site has a page about fasciation, but unfortunately it's down and can't see it...

The spikes and buds are completely normal. It's just that the spikes did a 180. Here are a few more images.

The bottom spike is easier to see. It just did a 180 turn after a few buds and then grew straight towards the back.

The top one is a bit trickier to capture in a photo. It did a 180 turn, grew straight back towards the pbulb, then did another 180, went a bit forward again and another almost 180 turn, causing a figure 8 shape. Actually it's more like all 45 degree turns. But you get the point.

Dollythehun · #9 01-15-2018, 08:52 PM

Well, that was my thought too.

JScott · #10 01-15-2018, 10:04 PM

Look at the Wiki page you linked to, and look at the pictures at the bottom. The second one, "Fasciation on a flowering cherry" is what I think is going on here. The abnormal tissue doesn't involve the whole width of the spike, just one side. As the affected side elongates excessively while the other side of the spike does not, it causes it to bend.

All that being said, you'll never know for sure what happened, but I doubt very much that it is anything to worry about or that there's anything you need to do to keep it happening again. The next spike will probably normal.

---------- Post added at 09:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 PM ----------

Here, look at this: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/uploads/imag...Fasciation.jpg