I only have one seedling that does this often enough to notice, tho I do
see it occasionally elsewhere. It's a seedling that can also sometimes
have a really high bud count - more than 20 once, I think, depending on
how many branches the stalk makes, which is highly variable. It's a TB,
but can bloom short and sometimes has basal branching. I've always
assumed that it was an environmental effect that just shortens
internodes between branches at the base so much that they appear to be
multiple stalks coming out of the rhizome at one location. Plus confuses
the meristem into thinking it hasn't branched yet, so keeps on doing it.
It's a cycle rebloomer, & I've wondered if the plant's hormones get
confused by cold that wasn't severe enough to abort the stalk, but cause
it to keep branching.
So I'm inclined to agree with all of you <g> - possibly caused by the
same stressors that result in pineappling in severe cases, just disrupts
internodes/branching in others.
--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.DiscoverET.org/etis>
Region 7, Kentucky-Tennessee <http://www.aisregion7.org>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
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