Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A couple weeks ago I had to repot one of my Dendrobium orchids due to the size. I did this as carefully as I could, but somehow the plant was still stressed out. This particular species blooms this time of year so I was expecting some nice flora. Well, as I was watering the plant yesterday, I noticed something on the end of one of the rhyzomes. Upon closer examination I found this! Looks like it produced another plant rather than blooming.

-Bill J

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Updated list as of: 9/30/03
2.2.6 D. azureus
1.2.14 D. ventrimaculatus 'yellow' (16 tads in the water)
2.3 D. tinctorius 'cobalt' (one subadult)
0.0.3 D. tinctorius 'patricia'
0.0.5 D. auratus 'green/black' (tads)
0.0.3 D. imitator 'Alex Sens line' (1 week)
0.0.2 D. reticulatus (soon)
0.0.2 D auratus 'teal'(soon)

The plant is cloning itself & making a baby! They are called kikis. Let the plant grow until the kiki is 1/3 the size of the parent plant & then it can be cut off and planted.

Melis
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Quality Captives

It is A kiki! Baby in Hawaiian I think. Dendrobium orchids are famous for this and can do this when there happy or under stress. New growth normally starts from the base of the plant but if it gets broken off eaten by a pest or rots off the plant will produce a kiki from a latent/dormant bud on the stem. This is a survival mechanism and can be found in alot of plants. I hanve a Cadetia taylorii (a neat little miniature)that is producing kikis from the top of the pseudobulbs at the juncturewhere the leaf begins and where the inflorescense arises. Im glad since I thought I lost it due to a single snails munching.
When the kiki gets a few inches long and has some nice white roots you can either cut or break it off. Be sure to use sterile tools if cutting and use caution if you're breaking it off. Try the twist and gentle pull method if it seems too difficult then cut.

Tim