What is this on my phaleopnsis orchid?

There's a node, bump, "nipple" looking thing at the base of my orchid(where the leaves sprout). This bump is green like the plant, and looks as if it's growing out of the plants base. I'm just curious, is this the new flowering spike that 's growing? or something else. the old spike has been cut, and the plant has produced a new leaf already. The plant is very healthy, this I already know. It receives enough light from the artificial flourescent grow light and the light from the window.

What is this on my phaleopnsis orchid?
It probably is a new flowering spike, as you suspected.



"Phalaenopsis can be induced to flower again on finishing flower spikes by cutting the flower stem off just above a node on the stem - this looks like a tiny leaf that lays flat to the stem. New growth will start from this node after about a month or so and flowers will develop after 2 to 3months."

(http://www.easyorchids.co.uk/site/conten...

There is a picture about 2/3 of the way down that page.



Happy Gardening!
Reply:If it's coming from the base of the plant at or below the level of the leaves it's most likely just a new root forming. This is what it sounds like to me from your descriptions.



The flower spikes come from the tip of the stem, it looks like they're coming from inside the leaves, not from the base of the plant.
Reply:Sounds like the beginnings of a new spike to me. I would go with "node" because that is how I would describe them. When someone uses "nipple" I just get an image of a nipple.

Anyhow, that's beside the point and more info than you asked for. I would say that you are correct in the assumption that it is a new spike bud.