OK. Now this is just wierd

[Ray]

Photo posted to [email protected] of roots of Cattleya trianiae - same thing has happened to C. violacea.

Anyone have any idea what it might be?

By the way - these are not my plants!

 

[gonewild]

OK that is weird!
Open one up to see if there is a worm inside.

 

[SlipperFan]

OK that is weird!
Open one up to see if there is a worm inside.

That's what I was thinking. Looks like some kind of gall.

 

[Secundino]

K-lite pellets.

 

[PaphMadMan]

I would suspect use of some kind of hormonal product, or something that acted as a hormone analog. Unless there is some kind of gall insect in there...

 

[Ray]

It happened on two plants simultaneously, which suggests a cultural issue, not insects, to me.

 

[gonewild]

It happened on two plants simultaneously, which suggests a cultural issue, not insects, to me.

I would think the opposite?
If cultural why on only two plants?
On two plants at same time suggests an insect attack on just those plants.

Several of the roots appear to have an entrance/exit hole?

Open up one of the nodes and see what is inside. You may see a hollow area that would be from an insect that has left or you may find a larvae.

What possible cultural explanation can you think of?

 

[ehanes7612]

an evolutionary attempt to harness the pollen transfer abilities of white swans?

 

[quietaustralian]

http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/hym/chalcids/eurytomid/EuryAroids.html or something similar?

 

[lepetitmartien]

The diameter change is a bit too much to be just a nice buffet the Catt has fed on. Even with a deviant chemical in sight.

I'd vote for the gall.

And the winner is?

 

[Erythrone]

I vote for a gall too!

 

[gonewild]

Could be some type of nematode. But strange the single swollen gall on each root end. Root Knot Nematode is different shapes.

 

[naoki]

I've never seen something like that in orchids, but it looks like a hormonal disorder. I believe some of the gall forming insects, pathogen and bacteria manipulate the plant hormones to produce galls. So it is a possibility. But it could be some internal disorder within plants (or some external hormones applied by human). This is not exactly related to the case of Cattleya: http://www.plantcell.org/content/21/9/2553.full
But, it shows that auxin-related abnormality can cause root galls.

 

[Heather]

Well, I'm sure curious!

 

[kellyincville]

an evolutionary attempt to harness the pollen transfer abilities of white swans?

lol

 

[Ozpaph]

chop, chop, chop

 

[eteson]

Not wierd to me...
I am with Lance and quietaustralian... If you open one you would see a small (1mm) white worm inside or even a developing small black "fly".
This occurs from time to time to me (only in Cattleya). I use a systemic insecticide to avoid this problem but it comes back sometimes.

 

[gonewild]

Not wierd to me...
I am with Lance and quietaustralian... If you open one you would see a small (1mm) white worm inside or even a developing small black "fly".
This occurs from time to time to me (only in Cattleya). I use a systemic insecticide to avoid this problem but it comes back sometimes.

When you see this is it always at the root tip? Does the root tip die?
Maybe this is a new "Pest" for the USA?

 

[eteson]

When you see this is it always at the root tip? Does the root tip die?
Maybe this is a new "Pest" for the USA?

Usually the root tip die... but sometimes the root keeps growing, specially if the plant has been treated with systemic pesticide...

I can take some pictures later.

 

[gonewild]

Usually the root tip die... but sometimes the root keeps growing, specially if the plant has been treated with systemic pesticide...

I can take some pictures later.

Please show pictures!