Cycad cones and flushes

[Billeb]

2 hours ago, Tracy said:

Attached is another flush sequence, this time on a plant I got as a 2 leaf seedling labeled as an Encephalartos (arenarius x horridus) x latifrons.  I'm not so sure about it being exactly as labeled, but it does look different to me than my true Encephalartos arenarius.  The presence of some horridus seems right as some flushes show more blue than others and this latest flush may still develop more color than it shows in the last photo of the sequence (most recent).  The leaflets on my other Encephalartos arenarius tend to be longer and not as wide further down the rachis as this hybrid specimen shows.

The flushes continue showing longer leaves (not leaflets), so it is still maturing and hasn't coned yet either.  Any thoughts on whether this could be as labeled or just another form of E. arenarius than my others?

Tracy, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was labeled correctly. I see Arenarius and Horridus in there. The leaflets are turned into themselves like you’d see on Horridus. 
 

I have Arenarius x Horridus that pushes purplish/blue fronds when flushing and is a pretty blue plant when hardened off. I also have an Arenarius Blue (pic) that pushes a green flush and turns to a shade of blue when it gets its sunscreen protection. 
 

what’s awesome about your plant is the leaf stacking. I think that’s where the Latifrons comes into the recipe. Like I said, I think it might be correct. Your eye is much sharper than most with Cycads. Plant looks great to me. 
 

-dale 

 

 

[Gallop]

[Tracy]

15 hours ago, Gallop said:

I like the color on your Ceratozamia hildae  flush, especially the younger leaf opening in the background.  Mine has always flushed green.  I guess there must be some variation within the species on the flush color.

[Gallop]

Tracy, yes there is a Cz hildae variant that flushes with color. I have a small colony. I hope to make seed in the near future. 

[Tracy]

On 7/23/2024 at 4:50 PM, Brian said:

Beautiful flush! Does it have small hairs or fuzz on the newly harden off leafs? Kind of like this,

 

On the rachis, yes, but not on the leaflets.  First three photos are details of the plant in question.  The last two are a more mature Encephalartos arenarius specimen showing the longer leaflets particularly less wide in the lower half of the racist than on the purported hybrid. 

[-2 brian]

Cycas Thourasii - New Flush

[Brian]

8 hours ago, Tracy said:

On the rachis, yes, but not on the leaflets.  First three photos are details of the plant in question.  The last two are a more mature Encephalartos arenarius specimen showing the longer leaflets particularly less wide in the lower half of the racist than on the purported hybrid. 

Interesting, none of my arenarius have hair on the rachis. The photo I uploaded is what I believe to be a transvenosus x latifrons cross from seeds I acquired from a reputable collector. The reason I say “believe” is because the labels were lost and I didn’t realize until recently that it appears to have latifrons traits in the overlapping of the leaflets and light hair like fuss. I was wondering if your Encephalartos (arenarius x horridus) x latifrons also had these traits. Yours is a beautiful plant and I’m sure it’s going to be even more spectacular as it matures.

 

[Brian]

I have a few Zamia vazquezii but this one also has the best color when it flushes. 
 

[Tracy]

12 hours ago, Brian said:

Interesting, none of my arenarius have hair on the rachis. The photo I uploaded is what I believe to be a transvenosus x latifrons cross from seeds I acquired from a reputable collector. The reason I say “believe” is because the labels were lost and I didn’t realize until recently that it appears to have latifrons traits in the overlapping of the leaflets and light hair like fuss. I was wondering if your Encephalartos (arenarius x horridus) x latifrons also had these traits. Yours is a beautiful plant and I’m sure it’s going to be even more spectacular as it matures.

 

In addition to leaflet stacking with Encephalartos latifrons hybrids I want to see that wide leaflet trait.  The ratio of leaflet length to width biased to width.  My favorite latifrons hybrid is this one which is with arenarius then backcrossed with latifrons pollen in the next generation. Super stcked leaflets which are chubby too.

[Merlyn]

WOOOOHOOOO!!!!  Finally this Encephalartos Ferox flushed actual leaves!  I bought this one as a big 15 gallon pot with a nearly-trunking caudex back in the summer of 2021.  I planted it in August 2021 and it got sunburned a bit initially.  Then the 25ish degree frost in January 2022 burned off half the fronds.  And then it coned in the spring of 2022, and I made the apparent mistake of cutting off the cones.  I thought it would force a flush, but instead it just sulked and coned again in the spring of 2023!  So I just left the cones in place and finally it's pushing 14 new fronds!

[Brian]

It’s nice to walk around the garden and see new flushes starting to push, even if they are on smaller plants. I’ll start with Stangeria which push out with a pretty cool curved shape,

A Zamia nesophila 

A very spiny, fuzzy E. septentrionalis getting ready to push another leaf out.

Another Encephalartos ready to start pushing a flush

I’m always happy to see growth on E schmitzii 

[Coasta]

Just thought I would chime in. Cycas Cupida growing here in the phoenix metro. This has done very well for the past three summers!

[Tracy]

On 7/29/2024 at 8:38 PM, Coasta said:

Just thought I would chime in. Cycas Cupida growing here in the phoenix metro. This has done very well for the past three summers!

Beautiful Cycas species and well grown.  This species seems to struggle here from what I'm told.  My hybrids with Cycas thouarsii have thrived, but are still a compromise for this look.

Changing genus, I noted the beginning of a flush on my Encephalartos cerinus.  It is very strange that it is only pushing one leaf which makes me suspect that maybe it will push a cone this year.  It won't be the first for this boy, but lacking a female to put the pollen to use, I would have preferred a larger flush.  Maybe I'm wrong though and it is just pushing a small flush this summer.

[Coasta]

Thank you Tracy! I appreciate it. How is your cupida thourarsii doing?

Awe shucks hopefully it doesn't cone after all. 

 

Here is another cupida that flushed last month.

 

[Brian]

Encephalartos arenarius flushing 

 

[Merlyn]

Here's an unidentified Ceratozamia flushing in the backyard.  This took 24-25F with no damage, and appears to be something along the lines of Robusta, Latifolia, Mexicana, or one of the other big & wide leaf types.  Any thoughts on an ID?

[Tracy]

6 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

Here's an unidentified Ceratozamia flushing in the backyard.  This took 24-25F with no damage, and appears to be something along the lines of Robusta, Latifolia, Mexicana, or one of the other big & wide leaf types.  Any thoughts on an ID?

I won't guess but had to say what an attractive cycad it is.

[Gallop]

On 8/10/2024 at 5:02 PM, Merlyn said:

Here's an unidentified Ceratozamia flushing in the backyard.  This took 24-25F with no damage, and appears to be something along the lines of Robusta, Latifolia, Mexicana, or one of the other big & wide leaf types.  Any thoughts on an ID?

That is Ceratozamia mexicana. 

[Tracy]

Male and female cones on two Encephalartos whitlockii x sclavoi.  I also have male Encephalartos sclavoi cones which I could pollinate the female hybrid with to go back more to it's sclavoi parent.

[Tracy]

Encephalartos lehmannii female cone maturing next to the stump of last year's cone.  More male cones, triplets in fact, on the largest of my Encephalartos longifolius this year.

[Tracy]

I think this is a male cone on the Encephalartos cupidus, but it is the first time for it to push out a cone so despite my 90% confidence, I'm still holding final judgement on it's sex a little longer.

Meanwhile I know that the pair of cones on the Encephalartos arenarius x ? are male.  I bought it as an E arenarius x woodii but not sure if that is right or if it is just E arenarius x natlaensis.

Green Encephalartos munchii flushing as well as a Dioon mejia as things have finally really warmed over the last few weeks.

[Tracy]

Some challenged flushes happening too.  My little Zamia angustafolia had some bugs that needed washing off, but I didn't notice until some of the leaves were damaged.  Will have to see how the flush continues progressing.   The Ceratozamia latifolia or hybrid of latifolia only produced a two leaf flush, then the flower spathe on the Archontophoenix cunninghamiana opened and dropped on it.  Over half the leaflets got ripped off the rachis.

[Billeb]

Post flush Encephalartos Trispinosus looking good. Small plant but 1st flush since grounding last year. Glad to see movement. 
 

-dale 

 

[Brian]

Encephalartos Lehmannii “fine leaf” flushing

[Brian]

Zamia vazquezii with a chocolate flush

[Brian]

I’m not sure which Encephalartos this is but it always has the most beautiful lime green flush.

[Merlyn]

15 hours ago, Brian said:

I’m not sure which Encephalartos this is but it always has the most beautiful lime green flush.

I have a similar one here that I concluded must be Senticosus or Msinganus.  Pruning it back is painful, as mine has developed a bunch of pups.

[Brian]

Could be senticosus however my Msinganus seeds I bought after this lime green Encephalartos was established. It definitely stands out among all the other Encephalartos for its bright lime green color. 

[DippyD]

Some of the men around the garden… 

[Merlyn]

This Cycas Diannanensis female coned earlier this year, and is now pushing a huge ~23 frond flush through the cone.  I'm not sure if anything fertilized the seeds yet, I haven't looked.

[Brian]

Cycas siamensis flushing. As soon as it started to flush I cut off all the existing leafs because they were burnt on their tips. My guess is that its the salt breeze that burns the tips but who knows.

[Gallop]

 

 

[Tracy]

As this female Encephalartos laurentianus cones, she is still holding 2 flushes.  Normally the flushes are either so beat up or forced more horizontal (hitting adjacent plants) that I have to remove everything but the most recent flushes when she cones.

I like how colorful these cones are.

[Brian]

Flush and cone on a Zamia neurophyllidia.