This is the weirdest spike I have ever seen: I just discovered that my phal
equestris is in spike and must have been for quite a while without my
noticing it. The spike is under the lowest leaf and it circled back and the
tip of the spike had burrowed into the plant so that it was attached to the
plant's core (or whatever the part of the plant which the leaves are
attached to is called) both at the bottom and at the tip of the spike in a
full circle. I just extracted the spike tip from inside the plant's body and
tried to unfurl it so that it now looks kind of normal and the buds are
finally visible. Has anyone seen anything like that?

I have seen roots that attacked the body of the plant and drilled holes in
leaves, but I had never seen a spike's tip do this sort of thing before.

What's the weirdest spike that you have ever seen? (I think that might make
for an interesting thread.)

Joanna

J Fortuna wrote:
This is the weirdest spike I have ever seen: I just discovered that my phal
equestris is in spike and must have been for quite a while without my
noticing it. The spike is under the lowest leaf and it circled back and the
tip of the spike had burrowed into the plant so that it was attached to the
plant's core (or whatever the part of the plant which the leaves are
attached to is called) both at the bottom and at the tip of the spike in a
full circle. .............................

My best guess would be that the spike didn't circle back and dig in, but
that the tip of the spike never left the plant in the first place. I
think it got hung up at the beginning and as the stem tried to grow it
pushed out as a loop.

Steve

Steve,
Ah, that is indeed probably what happened. That makes sense! In fact when I
rescued the tip, it seemed stuck and I think I had to sever a link to the
plant body at one point (not at the tip but close to it), but I had not
understood what had happened. Thanks for the explanation,
Joanna

"Steve" wrote in message
...
J Fortuna wrote:
This is the weirdest spike I have ever seen: I just discovered that my
phal equestris is in spike and must have been for quite a while without
my noticing it. The spike is under the lowest leaf and it circled back
and the tip of the spike had burrowed into the plant so that it was
attached to the plant's core (or whatever the part of the plant which the
leaves are attached to is called) both at the bottom and at the tip of
the spike in a full circle. .............................

My best guess would be that the spike didn't circle back and dig in, but
that the tip of the spike never left the plant in the first place. I think
it got hung up at the beginning and as the stem tried to grow it pushed
out as a loop.

Steve

Joanna,

One of my Phals put out two spikes last year basically at 90 degree angles
to the plant. They were impossible to stake. Very odd!

Diana

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:6KH%g.80843$073.60352@trnddc01...
Steve,
Ah, that is indeed probably what happened. That makes sense! In fact when
I rescued the tip, it seemed stuck and I think I had to sever a link to
the plant body at one point (not at the tip but close to it), but I had
not understood what had happened. Thanks for the explanation,
Joanna

"Steve" wrote in message
...
J Fortuna wrote:
This is the weirdest spike I have ever seen: I just discovered that my
phal equestris is in spike and must have been for quite a while without
my noticing it. The spike is under the lowest leaf and it circled back
and the tip of the spike had burrowed into the plant so that it was
attached to the plant's core (or whatever the part of the plant which
the leaves are attached to is called) both at the bottom and at the tip
of the spike in a full circle. .............................

My best guess would be that the spike didn't circle back and dig in, but
that the tip of the spike never left the plant in the first place. I
think it got hung up at the beginning and as the stem tried to grow it
pushed out as a loop.

Steve

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 20:04:16 -0700, Steve wrote
(in article ) :

J Fortuna wrote:
This is the weirdest spike I have ever seen: I just discovered that my phal
equestris is in spike and must have been for quite a while without my
noticing it. The spike is under the lowest leaf and it circled back and the
tip of the spike had burrowed into the plant so that it was attached to the
plant's core (or whatever the part of the plant which the leaves are
attached to is called) both at the bottom and at the tip of the spike in a
full circle. .............................

My best guess would be that the spike didn't circle back and dig in, but
that the tip of the spike never left the plant in the first place. I
think it got hung up at the beginning and as the stem tried to grow it
pushed out as a loop.

Steve

I'm watching the same thing on one of my phals. I nudged the tip of the spike
away from the underside of the leaf above (without breaking it!) and am now
watching a normal growing tip emerge from the stub which had originally been
butting against the leaf.

Tom
Walnut Creek, CA
Nikon D70