In OGD V7 #263, Nick Plummer asked: "Has similar behavior been described for other orchids? That is, do they produce inflorescences that are predetermined to generate a keiki and that are morphologically quite distinct from inflorescences that produce flowers?"
Nick, I don't want to seem pedantic, but any shoot that is predestined to generate an adventitious shoot (a keikei) rather than flowers cannot be called an inflorescence, no matter how inflorescence-like it may appear. The ability of orchid inflorescences to produce adventitious shoots is very well documented for a wide range of genera. (No, Viateur, I'm not going to spend the rest of the long weekend looking up references for you). Phalaenopsis are probably the best known example amongst hobby growers. I've recently been shown photos of a Taeniophyllum that behaved in a similar manner to what you described, except that the inflorescence produced some sterile flower buds which failed to develop, eventually turned green and presumably started to photosynthesise. Shortly afterwards, it sent out a root, and then a fresh inflorescence. Since Taeniophyllum is a leafless (and almost stemless) genus, the bundle of one root and one young inflorescence probably constitutes a fully-developed keikei. An even weirder occurrence that I've seen twice ... once in a Diplocaulobium and once in a Thrixspermum, is a keikei forming from a green seed capsule that is still attached to the inflorescence. On each occasion I checked carefully, and the roots and leaves were definitely emerging from inside the capsule. It was impossible to determine if the young shoot arose from seeds within the capsule, or from cellular material that arose entirely from the mother plant. Happy Vesak Day. Peter O'Byrne in Singapore _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
