The True Abre Ojos Reveals Itself

[MattyB]

These 8 Syagrus were all 1 leafers, plucked out from underneath Bob DeJong's Syagrus 'Abre Ojos' big mama plant, about 8 years ago. Up until now they all pretty much looked like queen palms. But one is starting to show some different traits. That long, bare petiole. That stiff rachis, densely packed with leaflets. Could this one turn out to look the most like it's mama? Time will only tell. What do you think?

[Phoenikakias]

Which one are you pointing to Matty? They all seem similiar to me and if one specimen matches more your description, I fear it is not the most spectacular in the row (at least to my eyes).

[Pando]

Are there any pictures of the big mama plant?

[DoomsDave]

Those'll stop trucks . . . .

[Ken Johnson]

Dem look well grown in any case!

[MattyB]

Which one are you pointing to Matty? They all seem similiar to me and if one specimen matches more your description, I fear it is not the most spectacular in the row (at least to my eyes).

Good point. I agree, it's the least pretty of them all at this point. It's the middle one. It's actually the smallest of the bunch as well.

Here's a pic (from PACSOA) of the mother plant. Notice how straight the fronds are compared to the usual arching queen palm leaves?

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

They're all matching the form of Abreojos. It's just that they're not old enough. They all have the arch just at the end. Wait until they trunk. They all look very nice and dark too.

[Hammer]

Had the chance to see these palms the weekend before last. Very hard to make out in the photo, but in person the palm Matty is pointing out does look noticeably different from the others.

Will be interesting to see if Axel's theory holds true. Regardless, this is a good looking row of palms and I don't much care for Syagrus usually.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Had the chance to see these palms the weekend before last. Very hard to make out in the photo, but in person the palm Matty is pointing out does look noticeably different from the others.

Will be interesting to see if Axel's theory holds true. Regardless, this is a good looking row of palms and I don't much care for Syagrus usually.

My theory is nothing more than wishful thinking, because if it takes 8 to get one to come true, then the little seedling in my garden only has a meager 12.5% chance to be the real deal.

The one in the middle has much longer petioles, that's about the only thing I see that's different.

I've never been fond of regular queens. But 15 years ago when I first got started with palms, I started to notice that ever so often, I'd come across a real beefy queen with thicker leaflets that looked a lot more foxtail-plumose-like than the others and generally darker green colored. I've been looking to grow that form in my garden for quite some time. I have one that is exactly like that, but it's not the abreojos. I also grow an abreojos seedling and a Santa Catarina queen from Penny Palms that came from seed collected in habitat. I believe all of these are nothing more than the "Mountain Giant", i.e. the Santa Catarina form found at higher elevation, or crosses with that form. This is what Penny Palms says about it:

The Santa Catarina queen palm is native to the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. There it is often referred to as the "Mountain Giant" as it grows at higher elevations (2,000 -3,000 ft.) and is considered to be more robust than the lowland queens. They appear to be much more tolerant of cold than the normal queens and they are sometimes exposed to frost and snow in habitat. During the winter of 2011 they endured 18F. with minor tip burn or no damage at all. Normal queens in the same area showed significant cold damage. Even the seeds of the Santa Catarina queen are much different from queen palms from other habitats (see picture below) being much smaller in size.

If you look at the photo in the Penny palms page, it does look like an Abreojos, except that the petioles are shorter.

Here is an "abreojos type" growing in Santa Cruz near UCSC, and which is not related to the original abreojos but looks just like it.

[edric]

Are there any pictures of the big mama plant?

Hi Pando, here ya go, Ed

http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Syagrus_sp._%27Abreojos%27

[Jeff Searle]

Who would of thought, that someday Matt could be supplying all of So-Cal with Queen palm seeds.

[Palmdude]

This thread has really opened my eyes!

[Phoenikakias]

Fiat lux!

[Rafael]

So this means abreojos is a regular queen?

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

So this means abreojos is a regular queen?

More accurately, abreojos is more likely to be the Santa Catarina queen form, also known as the 'Montanha gigante'.

[dalmatiansoap]

Fiat lux!

[Tassie_Troy1971]

For what it's worth Here is my lttle Abreojos grown from seed in 2010 .

Here is the Abreojos on HD Video

Cheers Troy

[Hammer]

Who would of thought, that someday Matt could be supplying all of So-Cal with Queen palm seeds.

and NorCal and Arizona and Nevada and...

[Hammer]

Who would of thought, that someday Matt could be supplying all of So-Cal with Queen palm seeds.

and NorCal and Arizona and Nevada and...

[FRITO]

any updates MattyB?

Here is mine "revealing itself" growing 5 years in ground in South Florida. Syagrus 'abre-ojos' F3, seedling from Pogobob's.

This is one that you mailed me as 2 leaf 1 gallon seedling back in 2010. so its about 6 years old, and has just started to flower.

its a beautiful palm, better than all the queens down here, fluffy leaflets...  more like a foxtail.

...taking reservations on the seed now!

[Josh-O]

On 4/24/2014, 5:36:12, Jeff Searle said:

Who would of thought, that someday Matt could be supplying all of So-Cal with Queen palm seeds.

Jeff, I just read this thread for the first time and I'm on the floor laughing my ass off with your comment

[FRITO]

Any thoughts MattyB? Maybe an update on yours?

[swolf]

Any updated photos of the next generation ‘Abre Ojos’ queens?  Frito,  MattyB, others?

Steve