Hi Tindo,
Monopodial means "single foot" and it describes the development of new growths more accurately than new leaves.
A Paph appears monopodial on an individual growth, but the next growth comes up beside the older growth. Monopodials don't have "next growths" unless the tip of the active growth is damaged. Then they might put out an emergency backup growth. Left to their own devices, they'll grow happily forever out of the top of their single growth.
If, when you think of sympodial, you envision a Catt, you see that the growths are linear, from oldest to newest, sometimes branching. Paphs are sympodial, but follow more of a concentric circle pattern. The oldest is typically in the center, and the newer growths can appear anywhere around it.
Some Paphs are stoloniferous - noteably some Parvi species and hybrids - which means they'll sometimes send out a rhizome-like stolon and a new growth can pop up some distance from big mama.
I have a question for the pros and I've learned the hard way how many hang out here! ...I have a book that lists Neofinetia as a monopodial genus, yet I would have sworn for all the reasons stated above that it was sympodial. Is the book wrong, or my understanding?
Julie
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