Colorful or unusual palm seeds

[ZoneTenNut]

Lets see some seeds. Palm seeds are as diverse as the palms themselves and some of the colors, shapes, sizes, etc., are dramatic and beautiful on their own. Somebody posted a pic of cleaned Licuala Mattanensis seeds, on another thread, and it surprised me, as it had a shape similar to a banana. Here is a pic of some Golden Malayan coconuts of mine. This year the tree has really put out alot of them.

Roger

[ZoneTenNut]

Bumping this up.

Nobody has any seed pics to show? I know for some they can be a messy nuisance, but ripened seeds to me are an interesting and beautiful part of the palm. Guess I must be a little strange, but I really love the bright clusters hanging there. Some, like the Carpentaria are brilliant red. The pups from these are a nuisance here in SoFlo and they are prolific seed producers, but when they are on the tree and ripe, and because they are so bright, you can see them from a long way off. If I had some ripe ones right now, I'd post a pic, but alas, nothing ready at the moment.

Something else, its interesting which seed the birds or other animals like to eat and which ones they don't. The birds really seem to love the Solitaire (Ptychosperma Elegans) seeds, while the squirrels, possums, and raccoons, seem to favor the Queen palm (Syagrus Romanzoffiana) seeds.

Roger

[Utopia Palms]

Hi Roger

Looks like not many people have had the chance to list some photos for you, here are a few for you now.

The first one is a very small Dypsis sp, this is the first time it has set seed and it has been flowering now for at least 3 years.

[Utopia Palms]

One more this one is Dypsis Zahamenae

[Utopia Palms]

This one is Areca triandra

[Utopia Palms]

Iguanura bicornis the photo is not that good but if you look hard you can see the two little horns on the end of the seed.

[Utopia Palms]

And Pinanga aristata just about ripe.

[MattyB]

Areca vestiaria at Bo's.  Notice the striping as the yellow fruit ages to orange and then red.

[Trópico]

Go Areca, go!!!  

[MediaHound]

Pseudophoenix Sargentii

[aussiearoids]

Metroxylon salomonensis one of many from 2 fruiting .

[ZoneTenNut]

(Utopia Palms @ Apr. 16 2007,20:17)

QUOTE

This one is Areca triandra

Clayton,

Thanks for the pics. Got real excited to see these Areca Triandra seeds. I have a couple of these palms in my landscape and the one just started fruiting, but they aborted prematurely. Beautiful seeds and quite a bit larger than I thought. Can't wait till mine are fruiting like this one you posted. Very nice.

Roger

[ZoneTenNut]

(MattyB @ Apr. 17 2007,15:29)

QUOTE

Areca vestiaria at Bo's.  Notice the striping as the yellow fruit ages to orange and then red.

Matt,

What can you say about those except Wow! I've got one of these but not yet fruiting. Can't wait now. The different stages of color are just great.

Roger

[ZoneTenNut]

(Utopia Palms @ Apr. 16 2007,20:32)

QUOTE

Iguanura bicornis the photo is not that good but if you look hard you can see the two little horns on the end of the seed.

Clayton,

I can see the horns on these and have not seen a seed like that before. Unusual.

On the Pinanga Aristata, why are the seeds bagged? Animals eating them or keeping bugs off? Just curious.

Roger

[ZoneTenNut]

(MediaHound @ Apr. 17 2007,22:13)

QUOTE

Pseudophoenix Sargentii

Jarred,

Thanks for posting this. Looks like quite a harvest. Do you know roughly at what age this palm starts fruiting? I know it would be variable depending on growing conditions, but what has been your experience?

Roger

[ZoneTenNut]

(aussiearoids @ Apr. 18 2007,04:34)

QUOTE

Metroxylon salomonensis one of many from 2 fruiting .

Mike,

Another really unusual seed. VERY LARGE! I've not really looked at this genus closely before, but been hearing quite a bit about them of late and think I'm going to have to find a spot for one somewhere in the landscape.

Roger

[ZoneTenNut]

Keep the pics coming and thanks everyone for posting your pics. They're great.

[SubTropicRay]

Arenga

[SubTropicRay]

Allagoptera

[SubTropicRay]

Butia

[SubTropicRay]

Neoveitchia

[TikiRick]

I have some great photos of Ptychosperma caryotifolia seeds on the inflorescense. I will post them soon.

[Kom Thai Palm]

Calamus sp.

[Kom Thai Palm]

Another Calamus sp.

[ZoneTenNut]

(Ray, Tampa @ Apr. 18 2007,07:15)

QUOTE

Neoveitchia

Ray,

Is that fruiting Neoveichia yours?

Roger

[ZoneTenNut]

(redvdox @ Apr. 18 2007,12:07)

QUOTE

Another Calamus sp.

Komkrit,

Spectacular design on those seeds.

Roger

[FRITO]

Butia fruits

[SubTropicRay]

No way Roger.  That's at BCC in 2005.

[aussiearoids]

Yet another Calamus , most likely C. moti .

[Bilbo]

I dont have ANY palm seed

[Bilbo]

whoops - seed pics to post BUT Roger this garden and area is stuffed full on N.American Grey Squirrels (I believe they were introduced here in the early 19th Century.

So far they have avoided all palms here including Pindo fruit/seeds.

However last year I planted a big Queen and it could flower/fruit this year or next so I have taken on board your warning about Queens and critters.

Many thanks Roger - it was not something I was aware of until now.

Regardez

Juan

[MediaHound]

Roger,

I collected those seeds! I played janitor for about ten minutes and saved them from the garbage.

It was quite a harvest, I visited that tree weekly for months tracking the progress, awaiting the bounty.

I ended up with about one thousand five hundred seeds.

As to put my finger on at what age the tree will set seed, I would be guessing. This particular tree could be ten or twenty years old... probably not much younger, but again, it's a wild guess. Sorry for the vague info.. wish I could tell you more.

I spent about twenty minutes last night cracking them with a walnut cracker and I then sowed those I readied. I did maybe 60-80 in that amount of time. Hard work! I don't know how the commercial growers do it, but I hope they have some sort of hulling machine to do it for them!

I do have plenty of these, as you can see, and they are quite fresh. If anyone would like to trade, please send me a PM! I have more than enough for me to handle at the moment.

Anyway, great pics everyone!

I especially like the vestiaria, the Metroxylon, and the various Calamus.

Thanks for sharing.

[ZoneTenNut]

(Bilbo @ Apr. 19 2007,06:44)

QUOTE

whoops - seed pics to post BUT Roger this garden and area is stuffed full on N.American Grey Squirrels (I believe they were introduced here in the early 19th Century.

So far they have avoided all palms here including Pindo fruit/seeds.

However last year I planted a big Queen and it could flower/fruit this year or next so I have taken on board your warning about Queens and critters.

Many thanks Roger - it was not something I was aware of until now.

Regardez

Juan

Juan,

That interesting about North American squirrels naturalizing over there. Most of my palms are not yet fruiting and quite a few are just now starting to, so will be interesting to see what kinds of critters go after what. I know that right now with what I do have fruiting, the squirrels seem to like the Queen and Ptychosperma elegans, so you see these sprouting up all over the place.

Roger

[ZoneTenNut]

Jarred,

Quite a find I'd say. 20 minutes for 60-80 seeds with a walnut cracker? Commercial have to have an easier way to do it or someone is going to have major blisters.  

Roger

[ron@springhammock]

Can't beat them Calamoidae fruit.  Unfortunately, these Raphia sudanica where a little too green to actually germinate.

[SubTropicRay]

Palm seeds are works of art.

[aussiearoids]

Raphia farinifera , had several trees flower WOW .

[aussiearoids]

Recently had Raphia hookeri flower at Whyanbeel .

Much longer seeds .

[TikiRick]

Palm seeds are so architecturally interesting I have a few wooden bowls of them lying around on coffee tables, window sills, and book cases for kicks. Once they are completely dried out (minus the flesh of course!), I spray a light coat of spar urethane on them to keep them free of insects (yes, even in the house!), and looking semi-glossy/wet. I have had tons of comments about my Wodyetia X Veitchia seeds in a wooden bowl on my kitchen countertop....

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Rick,

Welcome to the Palmtalk!  That is a really cool idea to preserve and display the seeds!

Bill