Licuala triphylla seeding

[Cindy Adair]

I mistakenly posted this first under the non palm section.

The usual story around my jungle. I was clearing debris and saw a palm that I had lost. Not so bad that I now have more than one of these as they are very nice! See the bottom left in this photo.

[Cindy Adair]

Anyway the PVC pipe was flat on the ground and the Calathea leaves had covered this tiny one up when fully open.

However I was in this shady cacao growing area in the late afternoon yesterday and the Calathea leaves were beginning to close as they do every night.

Soon I removed a few Calathea leaves and took a closer look and see two greenish seeds.

I certainly did not expect that on one so small. 

It is so nice to get unexpected presents isn't it! 

So what color should I look for when these are ripe? Who grows this one?

 

 

[Pal Meir]

According to Henderson 2009, p. 131 ripe fruits (8x6mm) should be red.

[Pal Meir]

In Palmpedia you can find a couple photos with red fruits, e.g.:

http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/images/8/8a/Lt340912667.JPG

[fan palm]

Hi Cindy, amazing how small these seed! As Pal meir said, the seed will turn bright red which does take a fair while. The palm should be more visable then too!

Cheers, Harry

[mike in kurtistown]

I verify that the seeds are red. I got two tiny LIcualas from Jeff Marcus that were flowering in 4-in pots. One was labeled triphylla, the other filiformis. The name filiformis has been synonymized with something, I think triphylla, but the two plants, which have grown a lot and produced ripe seed, are clearly different in growth habit. I have had about 25% germination of the filiformis seed after over a year, but nothing yet from the triphylla seeds.

 

[Cindy Adair]

Thank you all so much for answering my question, including Andrew who had also suggested the ripe seed should be red.

is it typical for Licualas as a genus to be slow to germinate? 

Even some very fresh L. grandis from a tree here are just popping up months after sowing. So different from most of the tropical fruit tree seeds here that are amazingly quick.

[Pal Meir]

25 minutes ago, Cindy Adair said:

Thank you all so much for answering my question, including Andrew who had also suggested the ripe seed should be red.

is it typical for Licualas as a genus to be slow to germinate? 

Even some very fresh L. grandis from a tree here are just popping up months after sowing. So different from most of the tropical fruit tree seeds here that are amazingly quick.

I found following notes in my chaos: 2006-09-30 received 20 seeds L grandis from RPS; 2006-10-26 eight seeds geminated (40% after 26 days); this photo was taken 11 months later:

[mike in kurtistown]

I picked seeds of L. naumannii locally, and had seven out of 10 germinate in four months. I picked ripe fresh seeds of L. distans and L. elegans (sum. v. sum.) and have only one elegans after over a year. 10 seeds each of L. bidentata and L. bintulensis from RPS - one sprout each after two years. I have had germination during one summer, then nothing until the following summer when several more germinated. It's not very hot here in Hawaii at 700 feet - creating more heat might speed germination for some species.

 

[Mandrew968]

On 8/27/2016, 5:50:44, Cindy Adair said:

Thank you all so much for answering my question, including Andrew who had also suggested the ripe seed should be red.

is it typical for Licualas as a genus to be slow to germinate? 

Even some very fresh L. grandis from a tree here are just popping up months after sowing. So different from most of the tropical fruit tree seeds here that are amazingly quick.

About three months is standard for palms in general. Some are faster and some are slower. I put Licuala right in that 3 to 5 month category. I have germinated more than a handfull of species.

 

Here is my dwarf Licuala that is also seeding--parviflora. Though not as dwarf as yours, Cindy--that is insane!! I would think it gives Dypsis minuta a run for its money...

[Cindy Adair]

Very nice Andrew!

I like L. parviflora although mine has yet to flower.