Butia eriospatha x Syagrus glaucescens

[Alberto]

I´m crossing my Butia eriospatha´s with Syagrus glaucescens. The pollen I collected at the last post tour to the Cadeia do Espinhaço(Biennial in Rio) were on the windswept tablelands of Central Brazil grows in very rocky places the most unusual tough Syagrus species,with very stiff leaflets,thick like cardboard. The overall appearence of this palm did me remember a Cycad....

Today I harvested the first 100 seeds (pollenated at the end of the winter) but I saw that the last pollenations were more succesfull.

I´m so curious how this Butiagrus will look in future

[Alberto]

Emasculated inflorescence protected in a plastic bag,waiting for anthesis

[Alberto]

Daddy in habitat

[Alberto]

A few more....on the rocks.

[PalmTom]

Alberto,

I've always wondered what this cross might look like. You'll deffinitely have to keep us updated on your progress! Tom

[DoomsDave]

Ralph velez has one at his place in Westminster! Maybe gather some pollen . . . .

[BS Man about Palms]

My S.g. is finally in the ground. I hope it speeds up.

It does look happier.

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Wow Alberto, that looks like it could be a very nice hybrid. I would think stiff upright leaves with many leaflets would be the result. It should be a very tough plant. I would think that if the Syagrus father can grow and survive well in that rocky environment, then when the hybrid is cultivated, in good soil, it will grow fast, be very pest resistant, and laugh at bad weather.

[Nigel]

Alberto..... let us know when the first one germinates..... this is very interesting !!

[Alberto]

I opened a bag yesterday and it had a fairly good seed set, better then with S.romanzoffiana.

The bad news,Nigel is that from the three inflorescences that I pollenated with Jubaea I had only 3 fruits!!!!!

I think that he pollen wasn´t viable .A shame because last time i did this crossit,it setted a lot of big fruits on practically all the inflorescences!! Intersting is that the seeds of BxJ are normal size and the BxSyagrus are smaller.....

[Nigel]

I opened a bag yesterday and it had a fairly good seed set, better then with S.romanzoffiana.

The bad news,Nigel is that from the three inflorescences that I pollenated with Jubaea I had only 3 fruits!!!!!

I think that he pollen wasn´t viable .A shame because last time i did this crossit,it setted a lot of big fruits on practically all the inflorescences!! Intersting is that the seeds of BxJ are normal size and the BxSyagrus are smaller.....

Alberto, full of optimism after your success with Jubaea on eriosptha I have pollinated 5 inflorescences. The seeds are falling off like crazy. 1st 2 inflorescences have nothing at all left, and the last 3 are losing seeds rapidly.

I thought Jubaea was highly compatible. I think maybe the pollen needs to be dried to perfection, because I suspect my pollen is all dead.

Is your pollen fresh or old ?

[tank]

Alberto,

This cross should be awesome. S. glaucescens is on of my favorite palms that I've never seen in person .

[gyuseppe]

alberto is true that germination of Syagrus glaucescens is very difficult?

[edbrown_III]

Alberto,

Good show on the efforts--- I never had access to S. glaucescens--- I have crossed Butia captita with S. coronata to get the simular ranking of leaves --- S. glaucescens is the prettiest Syagrus. (my opinion)

Best regars

Ed

[Alberto]

Wow Alberto, that looks like it could be a very nice hybrid. I would think stiff upright leaves with many leaflets would be the result. It should be a very tough plant. I would think that if the Syagrus father can grow and survive well in that rocky environment, then when the hybrid is cultivated, in good soil, it will grow fast, be very pest resistant, and laugh at bad weather.

Hi Jeff,

I´m hoping it will look like your description!!!

Giseppe,I could germinate only 3 seed out of 10 that I bought from RPS some years ago,and it weren´t fast germinators I remember. Only one seedling survived.

Ed,I´m also hoping for a trunk somewhat similar to glaucescens,more slender with the patern of rows of the leafbases like S.glaucescens....

[Mark Heath]

Alberto,

Keep your hopes high, as long as you did'nt get contamination a good seed set is a good thing! Congratulations is in order when one of those babies sprout! I can't wait to see what this cross will look like.

[Alberto]

Alberto,

Keep your hopes high, as long as you did'nt get contamination a good seed set is a good thing! Congratulations is in order when one of those babies sprout! I can't wait to see what this cross will look like.

It´s practically impossible to have contamination because.I´m very rigorous in washing,spraying with alcohol solution,bagging,washing again ,bagging again. After pollenated the infl. is protected in a double bag that can aerate and I remove or bag all the butia inflorescences on other butias.The three infloresnces that I pollenated with Jubaea pollen (not viable I think ) I had practically zero seed set.(3 seeds on one infl....maybe contamination?who knows?)

The seeds on the B x S.glaucescens are 2/3 to 1/3 the size of normal eriospatha seeds and this is a clear sign of hybrid seeds.

I´m keeping hopes high!

[Nigel]

Alberto,

Did you apply Jubaea pollen to the same Butia eriospatha as last year ?

[freakypalmguy]

I've got my fingers crossed for you Alberto, this could really be an interesting and unique one.

[Alberto]

Alberto,

Did you apply Jubaea pollen to the same Butia eriospatha as last year ?

Yes,the same,

[Mark Heath]

Alberto,

Keep your hopes high, as long as you did'nt get contamination a good seed set is a good thing! Congratulations is in order when one of those babies sprout! I can't wait to see what this cross will look like.

It´s practically impossible to have contamination because.I´m very rigorous in washing,spraying with alcohol solution,bagging,washing again ,bagging again. After pollenated the infl. is protected in a double bag that can aerate and I remove or bag all the butia inflorescences on other butias.The three infloresnces that I pollenated with Jubaea pollen (not viable I think ) I had practically zero seed set.(3 seeds on one infl....maybe contamination?who knows?)

The seeds on the B x S.glaucescens are 2/3 to 1/3 the size of normal eriospatha seeds and this is a clear sign of hybrid seeds.

I´m keeping hopes high!

I know you are very rigorous w/ dealing w/ contamination, which is why i stated that a good seed set is a good thing!

I have found that Queen and S.Coronata produce a good seed set when used as the pollen donor,and i really think that you have found another Syagrus that readily crosses w/ Butia! I am excited for you, i am currently waiting for my 7 gallon S.Glaucescens to flower, which will take forever!

[Nigel]

Alberto,

Keep your hopes high, as long as you did'nt get contamination a good seed set is a good thing! Congratulations is in order when one of those babies sprout! I can't wait to see what this cross will look like.

It´s practically impossible to have contamination because.I´m very rigorous in washing,spraying with alcohol solution,bagging,washing again ,bagging again. After pollenated the infl. is protected in a double bag that can aerate and I remove or bag all the butia inflorescences on other butias.The three infloresnces that I pollenated with Jubaea pollen (not viable I think ) I had practically zero seed set.(3 seeds on one infl....maybe contamination?who knows?)

The seeds on the B x S.glaucescens are 2/3 to 1/3 the size of normal eriospatha seeds and this is a clear sign of hybrid seeds.

I´m keeping hopes high!

I know you are very rigorous w/ dealing w/ contamination, which is why i stated that a good seed set is a good thing!

I have found that Queen and S.Coronata produce a good seed set when used as the pollen donor,and i really think that you have found another Syagrus that readily crosses w/ Butia! I am excited for you, i am currently waiting for my 7 gallon S.Glaucescens to flower, which will take forever!

One good thing about a 100% seed drop when using dead pollen is that it at least inspires confidence that excellent measures to protect contamination are in place !

[Alberto]

All my B.eriospatha are bagged lately...not a so beautifull sight....

I´m also making xButiagrus with ´´Paraná queen´´

[Alberto]

One of the first hybrid B.eriospatha x S.glaucescens infructescence. Reasonable seed set...

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

One of the first hybrid B.eriospatha x S.glaucescens infructescence. Reasonable seed set...

I would say a very reasonable seed set. Congratulations!

[merrillwx]

Hi, Alberto:

Wish you the very best luck on this new hybrid! Any chance of reserving one of your hybrids for eventual purchase?

Best Wishes,

merrill

[Alberto]

Hi, Alberto:

Wish you the very best luck on this new hybrid! Any chance of reserving one of your hybrids for eventual purchase?

Best Wishes,

merrill

Thanks!!!

Yes,of course!

[tank]

Alberto,

Any updates?

[Alberto]

Yesterday,after +- 50 days in humid vermiculite at 28°C I found my first 11 seeds germinated!!!

i cannot wait until they grow up!

Toby from RPS want to buy the seeds from me.

[Alicehunter2000]

Alberto.....I think you should ask Toby for..............1 million dollars......mmmmmwwwaahhaa!

[tank]

Yesterday,after +- 50 days in humid vermiculite at 28°C I found my first 11 seeds germinated!!!

i cannot wait until they grow up!

Toby from RPS want to buy the seeds from me.

Alberto,

This is the most exciting hybrid IMHO. S. glaucescens is such an unusual looking palm. Hopefully the seeds will keep on truckin.

Thanks for keeping us posted.

jason

[freakypalmguy]

Great news Alberto, I'm looking forward to the seeing pictures as these progress. Could be something very special.

[Al in Kona]

Alberto, sounds like your diligent determined effort has paid off. Good for you. Prior to my seeing Syagrus glaucescens in habitat (Biennial post tour) I never really got excited about this palm. Now I find this to be a very nice and unique palm. As the saying goes, a photo might be worth a thousand words, but seeing a palm in person is even better!

[Alberto]

Not so much to see ,but this are the first very upright strap leaves of the hybrid

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Alberto, I am so excited that you have been able to get seedlings from this hybrid. Do you see a thicker leaf texture, than B. eriospatha, at this point? I went back and read this whole thread again and see that you collected the pollen in April and used it about 4 months later. How did you prepare and store, the pollen, to keep it viable?

[Alberto]

The pollen was collected mostly from the spathas that form a kind of spoon where a lot of insects cover themselves with pollen.

The pollen was sifted ,collected in an envelop. At home,after a few days,I dried for some days at 25-30ºC. Put in little jar with sylica gel, again a few days in refrigerator (cold drying)and after that stored in the freezer at lowest possible temperature.

[tank]

Very cool Alberto. Would you describe their growth as slower than other Butia x Syagrus hybrids? I would expect them to be slower.

[Alberto]

Very cool Alberto. Would you describe their growth as slower than other Butia x Syagrus hybrids? I would expect them to be slower.

Difficult to say at this stage,but maybe a little slower than B.eriospathas (that grow relatively fast for me) For sure they are faster than pure S.glaucescens which seeds I also found when I was at the Chapada Diamantina. The hybrids ( first germinated in March this year) are way bigger than the seedlings that I obtained with the S.glaucescens seeds that were sown May 2010.

I obained +- 38-40% germination on the first batch of BxS.glauc.

[Nigel]

Yeeehaaa I am going to visit alberto on saturday.... I cannot wait...... he has so many special SPECIAL things to see.

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

The pollen was collected mostly from the spathas that form a kind of spoon where a lot of insects cover themselves with pollen.

The pollen was sifted ,collected in an envelop. At home,after a few days,I dried for some days at 25-30ºC. Put in little jar with sylica gel, again a few days in refrigerator (cold drying)and after that stored in the freezer at lowest possible temperature.

Thanks for sharing this Alberto. It is exactly the way I collect and process my pollen. I am encouraged that I am doing it correctly.