Cycad cones and flushes

[Tom in Tucson]

14 hours ago, Gallop said:

1st picture is C multifrondis x swansong (tropophyla x micholitzii)

A couple pictures of various Ceratozamia, Chamberlainii, Kuesteriana, fuscoviridis, a few unknowns. 

Picture of cycas flushing over Ceratozamia chamberlainii is C panz x multifrondis, a bit stressed out from coning event. It’s holding a large cone full of seed. 

Last pic Dioon vovidesii “mazatan”

Thanks. I assumed the last one was Dioon vovidesii. The others look great too.

Hi 102°, Lo 64°

[DippyD]

Previously known as D. Sonorense now know  as vovidesii i believe…. 

[Gallop]

[Billeb]

My Aemulans X Lehmannii is pushing a full 7 frond set. This has been a unique hybrid. Basically looks like a lime green Lehmanii. It’s different. 
 

-dale 

[tinman10101]

new flush on zamia nesophila ... i grew this one from seed about 10 years ago. glad to see it flushing larger and larger:

 

 

[PalmsandLiszt]

17 minutes ago, tinman10101 said:

new flush on zamia nesophila ... i grew this one from seed about 10 years ago. glad to see it flushing larger and larger:

Is this planted out or in a pot? I thought these were very cool-sensitive, but you have an average low of mid-30s to mid- 40s for half the year. Are they fine with this? I thought under about 50 was a death sentence. Are the seedlings more sensitive? I have a couple which I have been trying to keep from the slightest thought of anything below 70. Lost 3 to damping off, which tropical Zamia seedlings in my care seem to be inevitably prone to.

[tinman10101]

15 minutes ago, PalmsandLiszt said:

Is this planted out or in a pot? I thought these were very cool-sensitive, but you have an average low of mid-30s to mid- 40s for half the year. Are they fine with this? I thought under about 50 was a death sentence. Are the seedlings more sensitive? I have a couple which I have been trying to keep from the slightest thought of anything below 70. Lost 3 to damping off, which tropical Zamia seedlings in my care seem to be inevitably prone to.

sorry i didnt take a pic of the pot.  yes ... they are in pots.  i am in a 9b zone so we get really cold so i winter them over in my greenhouse or inside the house.  

Where are you located?  i have three of them and my largest one with about 3 inches of trunk, i actually planted this year in the raised planter you see behind in the first pic.  itll probaby struggle but i am hoping it makes it because it is in heavy canopy and protected from the elements.  I guess we will see after this winter. 

i also grow zamia skinneri as well in pots.  this one maybe a skinneri since i lost the labels and i am ignorant to the differences in their characteristics and do not have a trained eye yet.  maybe @GeneAZ or some other members can shed light on the id of this one

cheers 

tin

[Peter]

Latifrons cross-not sure of the exact parentage

[GeneAZ]

Peter, you've got a nice one for density and stacking, and it will get even better!!

[Billeb]

It’s a Boy! Dioon Edule Var. Queretaro cone just opening up to spread pollen with no females in the vicinity. 😂
 

-dale 

 

[tinman10101]

On 10/10/2023 at 8:22 AM, Billeb said:

It’s a Boy! Dioon Edule Var. Queretaro cone just opening up to spread pollen with no females in the vicinity. 😂
 

-dale 

 

Funny I have females sprouting everywhere Dale with no males LoL 

[tinman10101]

Nat x horridus coming for first time 

 

[Tracy]

4 hours ago, tinman10101 said:

Nat x horridus coning for first time 

Sorry Tin, I had to correct your verb above, this is a "G" rated platform.😁

Pretty girl.  My mature two are male, so I haven't been interested in using the pollen from those boys on any of my female cones in the genus.  Yours being a female, it might be fun to try crossing with another very blue Encephalartos, such as Encephalartos lehmannii  or trispinosis.  George mentioned that he was reluctant to back-cross with one of the parents for fear of decreasing any hybrid vigor but he did do it in some of the more rare species and obviously people do it with E woodii hybrids.  You could also consider back-crossing with horridus and see if the hybrid vigor trait sticks.  I have at least one hybrid that was back-crossed with the pollen donor and it definitely is faster than the true species of the back-cross.  So hybrid (a x b) x a is still performing faster than true species b for me.  Of course you can skip all the pollinating stuff and just enjoy your beautiful cycad and cone!

[tinman10101]

6 minutes ago, Tracy said:

Sorry Tin, I had to correct your verb above, this is a "G" rated platform.😁

Pretty girl.  My mature two are male, so I haven't been interested in using the pollen from those boys on any of my female cones in the genus.  Yours being a female, it might be fun to try crossing with another very blue Encephalartos, such as Encephalartos lehmannii  or trispinosis.  George mentioned that he was reluctant to back-cross with one of the parents for fear of decreasing any hybrid vigor but he did do it in some of the more rare species and obviously people do it with E woodii hybrids.  You could also consider back-crossing with horridus and see if the hybrid vigor trait sticks.  I have at least one hybrid that was back-crossed with the pollen donor and it definitely is faster than the true species of the back-cross.  So hybrid (a x b) x a is still performing faster than true species b for me.  Of course you can skip all the pollinating stuff and just enjoy your beautiful cycad and cone!

LoL Tracy. I posted from my phone and autocorrect has been a challenge to say the least so I didn't even notice that Freudian slip. 😉

I've never try pollinating cycads and at this point do not know the antithesis of pollination for this cone although I do suspect it still has some time. 

Ironically my natalensis next to this cycad coned for the first time this year and it's a male but timing was a couple of months off. If I can get some pollen, I will try pollinating this mama. 😁

[Tracy]

Encephalartos Ituriensis male cones in abundance. 

[tinman10101]

15 hours ago, tinman10101 said:

LoL Tracy. I posted from my phone and autocorrect has been a challenge to say the least so I didn't even notice that Freudian slip. 😉

I've never try pollinating cycads and at this point do not know the antithesis of pollination for this cone although I do suspect it still has some time. 

Ironically my natalensis next to this cycad coned for the first time this year and it's a male but timing was a couple of months off. If I can get some pollen, I will try pollinating this mama. 😁

as an addendum to the post ... i guess i can ask anybody with pollen if they would like to donate and i would happily give out 50% of the seeds.  i would also need a little tutorial on pollen inoculation but i do have all the materials needed (ie large syringe since i wanted to experiment with cycad pollination at one time).

cheers

tin

shes quite robust

[tinman10101]

23 hours ago, tinman10101 said:

Funny I have females sprouting everywhere Dale with no males The smell of responsive cycad cones have been permeating throughout the yard profusely.  LoL 

@Billeb Here is the one in the front Dale:

[Merlyn]

This Encephalartos Gratus x Laurentianus is putting out a 4 leaf flush now, after doing a 3 leaf flush in July and a 2 leaf flush in April.  This is by far the fastest growing cycad in my yard:

And yes, I just ripped up all the weeds around the area and the two agaves...and put down a fresh layer of mulch.  It looked pretty bad about 30 minutes ago... 

[edbrown_III]

Zamia picta ,Zamia purpurea and Zamia splendens

 

[edbrown_III]

Zamia neurophyllidia

[edbrown_III]

Cycas diananensis 

[Marius]

Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi 

female cones coming along nicely. 

[tinman10101]

18 hours ago, Marius said:

Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi 

female cones coming along nicely. 

Will you be pollinating those Marius?

[Marius]

I doubt it. I don’t have pollen. I’ve asked on Cycad friends on Facebook, but no reply yet. 

[Palmzilla]

Greetings, here is a encephalartos transvenosus spitting 50 plus leaves 

[Palmzilla]

Encephalartos princeps with some developing seed cones on the way 

[Palmzilla]

Hybrid Encephalartos horridus x woodii with some half grown seed cones 

[tinman10101]

On 10/15/2023 at 6:57 AM, Marius said:

I doubt it. I don’t have pollen. I’ve asked on Cycad friends on Facebook, but no reply yet. 

sorry to hear marius. seems like just a tragedy and not take advantage of an opportune moment.  regardless ... your plant is quite large and impressive. 

[Sr. Califas]

After not flushing last year and putting all of its energy into  a cone I was very disappointed when soon after the spent cone was removed another one was on it way.  Alas, my boy will be multitasking!!

[Marius]

13 hours ago, tinman10101 said:

sorry to hear marius. seems like just a tragedy and not take advantage of an opportune moment.  regardless ... your plant is quite large and impressive. 

It is a huge pity and Thank you for the kind  words

[Tracy]

Late season flushes on these two Cycads from differnt genra.  Encephalartos (arenarius x latifrons) x latifrons pushing a rare second flush for the season for Encephalartos of this size.  While I do sometimes see more than one flush on the smaller Encephalartos that are only pushing a couple to handful of leaves, it's pretty unusual for them once they are above 4"-5" caudices for them to flush twice in one season.

The other one flushing is a male Lepidozamia peroffskyana.  It pushed two cones earlier in the summer, so was just delayed in flushing this year.

[Tracy]

Pups on the Encephalartos inopinus finally starting to flush this year.  Two of about 7 pups are now actively flushing.  The main caudex was pushing it's first female cone which seems to have sucked all the energy of the plant since that was the only thing it focused on growing all Spring and Summer this year.  I will be curious if some additional pups follow suit before winter begins.

Normally this time of year is focused on cone development, harvesting pollen and hopefully pollinating some cones.

[Gallop]

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Gallop

[Gallop]

Last pic is  C multipinnta flushing. This leaf will push 15’ I’m thinking.

[Gallop]

Cycas panzhihuaensis x Cycas taitungensis

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Gallop

[Gallop]

Dioon vovidesii 

 

 

[Tracy]

On 10/22/2023 at 12:40 PM, Tracy said:

Late season flushes on these two Cycads from differnt genra.  Encephalartos (arenarius x latifrons) x latifrons pushing a rare second flush for the season for Encephalartos of this size. 

The flush on the hybrid is moving along and endured the rain yesterday without any damage.  I am always concerned when we have strong wind and rain with open flushes that are still soft.  A few days before, I noticed an even later flush happening on an Encephalartos latifrons.  This is really late.  Getting started in November I will be surprised if the flush is hardened off on the first day of Winter (Winter solstice this year is on December 21st).   It has been a strange year for all sorts of plants as a result of the unusual mix of weather experienced here in 2023.

[Tracy]

She's gettin' chubby.  Not impregnated yet but hopefully getting closer to her receptivity date.  Encephalartos arenarius female cone.

[Merlyn]

Here's a twofer flush, Natalensis x Horridus up front and Sclavoi x Ituriensis just behind it. 

Next to the garage one of my largest Encephalartos Laurentianus is doing the second flush of the year.  The first flush was recovery from winter burn, in roughly May.  This one started to flush about 2-3 weeks ago, and *might* actually finish before the first frost of the year!  This one is about a 10 inch caudex and 7-10 foot long fronds:

[Tracy]

Encephalartos ituriensis male cones