No problem in my opinion. Just normal growth. In habitat, that branch would have run into the soil and "turned around" (and probably root there too). Since it is in that pot, it just keeps growing down aimlessly. Like you said, it has nice tight growth, which to me indicates it growing normally...

Alright. I kind of figured as such. Some species seem like they're kind of... clumpier, and others are more upright. The lack of an ID I have contributes to m confusion on what's a normal growth habit for this thing anyway.

It's still a bit soft on a few branches, though. Should I give it some water? As I said, if anything, it's from being too dry since I haven't watered it that recently. Rot seems VERY unlikely.

I have a very similar plant that lost its growth point, and the stem has turned to wood. It has one branch emerging in the middle at a right angle. It is growing very long, and I have to support the branch by leaning it over nearby pots. I think yours is Monadenium heteropodum.

Another image: Monadenium heteropodum

Here is a very similar looking plant showing a downward turn: NOID Monadenium

another possibility is Monadenium guentheri

Brad

IDing these stem-type Monadeniums is almost impossible for me. There just seems to be so few differentiating characteristics.

Unless it is completely dormant, I would offer some water and see if that increases the turgidity and firms up the soft stems. Assuming you have it in an appropriate mix, I wouldn't worry too much about rotting it...

paracelsus:

Mine has a heteropodum body and SOME guentheri colorization, but also gunetheri-ish leaves, which is why I guess at it being a hybrid.

"Unless it is completely dormant, "

It's not. It's actually flowering right now, a little, and I think that weird branch is mostly newish. I'll give it some water.

I have a monadenium as well, which Joscience thought might be M. schubei, though looking at the photos of M. heteropodum, it looks something like that also. I see now why Monadeniums are so hard to ID. My plant seems to be leaning a bit more than when I got it, though it hasn't lost any firmness, and still has most of its leaves. I don't water mine very often, though I've only had it a few months. This is mine.

Christopher

I bought this recently at a big box store and it was tentatively identified by someone at a yahoo forum as Monadenium guentheri. The stems are quite firm and it is finishing flowering at the ends.

Here is a link that might be useful: Monadenium guentheri?

Your plant looks a lot like mine above, which I thought of as M. schubei, only yours has lost all its leaves.

Christopher

it is leafing out now.

Here is a link that might be useful: M schubei? heteropodum?