horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

, a keiki ( ) is a plant produced asexually by an

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

plant, especially ''

Dendrobium ''Dendrobium'' is a genus of mostly Epiphyte, epiphytic and Lithophyte, lithophytic orchids in the Family (biology), family Orchidaceae. It is a very large genus, containing more than 1,800 species that are found in diverse habitats throughout m ...

'', ''

Epidendrum ''Epidendrum'' , abbreviated Epi in the horticultural trade, is a large neotropical genus of the orchid family. With more than 1,500 species, some authors describe it as a mega-genus. The genus name (from Greek language, Greek ''επί, epi'' an ...

'' (''sensu lato''), and ''

Phalaenopsis ''Phalaenopsis'' (), also known as moth orchids, is a genus of about seventy species of plants in the family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus are monopodial epiphytes or lithophytes with long, coarse roots, short, leafy stems and long-lastin ...

'' orchids. The baby plant is an exact clone of the mother plant, sometimes flowering while still attached to the mother. The word is Hawaiian for 'baby' or 'child', literally meaning 'the little one'. On a ''

,'' a keiki is a small plant growing from one

node In general, a node is a localized swelling (a "knot") or a point of intersection (a vertex). Node may refer to: In mathematics * Vertex (graph theory), a vertex in a mathematical graph *Vertex (geometry), a point where two or more curves, lines ...

along the flower stem. Keiki growth may be induced by prolonged exposure to high temperatures during the final phase of spike growth. On a ''

,'' the keiki is typically found sprouting along the length of the cane or from the end of the cane. In addition to keikis which grow on flower spikes, ''Phalaenopsis'' may occasionally produce basal keikis at the base of the orchid.

Removing keikis

If a new plant is desired, the keiki should be left on the mother plant until it develops a healthy root system at least long and has two or three leaves (for a ''Phalaenopsis'') or canes (''Dendrobium''). For a ''Phalaenopsis'' keiki, this may take 6–12 months from when the keiki first forms."Keiki propagation"
''EasyOrchids'' At this point, it can be carefully removed with a sharp knife and planted in its own pot. Keikis are cut below and above the stem, leaving a small piece of stem on the baby plant. Some species orchids like '' Phalaenopsis pulchra'' frequently produce keikis, which flower while still attached to the mother plant. If a new plant is not desired, the keiki can be removed at any time. Removing the entire inflorescence after flowering is complete can prevent the production of keikis and result in a "tidier" appearance for the plant.

Hormone paste

Keiki paste is a

cytokinin Cytokinins (CK) are a class of plant hormones that promote cell division, or cytokinesis, in plant roots and shoots. They are involved primarily in Cell (biology), cell growth and cellular differentiation, differentiation, but also affect apical ...

hormone A hormone (from the Ancient Greek, Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of cell signaling, signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs or tissues by complex biological processes to regulate physio ...

which induces growth in the node of a ''Phalaenopsis''

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

. It should not be confused with paste or powder containing

auxin Auxins (plural of auxin ) are a class of plant hormones (or plant-growth regulators) with some morphogen-like characteristics. Auxins play a cardinal role in coordination of many growth and behavioral processes in plant life cycles and are essent ...

s, which are used to force the production of roots. Nodes on ''Phalaenopsis'' spikes will form either vegetative growth (keiki) or floral growth (a branch with flower buds). If the node tissue is already differentiated so that it will become a floral branch, there is no way to change the result; therefore, the paste must be applied to the node before it is differentiated. However, there is no way to predict if an undifferentiated node will become a keiki or a floral branch.

References

{{Commonscat, Keikis Orchid biology Orchid cultivation Asexual reproduction

Removing keikis

Hormone paste

See also

References