Copernicia baileyana gigas Seedlings from Cuba

[PalmatierMeg]

I attended the Miami Biennial in 2014 and right after took the 8-day Post-Tour of Cuba, where we traveled all over northern and central Cuba to observe its many unique palms in habitat. Among those were seeding Copernicia baileyana and gigas. Our gracious botanist guide allowed us to collect seeds from those and other palms, which I stowed away in my husband's dirty socks. I thought I had carefully labeled each species collected and I had - for the most part. After I arrived home I found a bag of seeds labeled "Copernicia baileyana", which was fine. But I had another baggie of unlabeled Copernicia seeds. Were they gigas? Or more baileyana? I couldn't remember and the unknown seeds looked like the baileyanas. According to the Riffle, Craft book the species are similar except for minor differences in leaf size and shape, petiole length and inflorescense details. I germinated them separately from the known baileyanas. The only difference I noticed between the two batches is that the known baileyana seedlings grew faster. I planted two of those in the past 12-18 months and both have gone palmate. I planted one unknown seedling after Hurricane Irma last fall. It is now starting to grow larger but is still strap leaf.

I need to find new homes for 6 of my wild-seed-collected Copernicia seedlings. Whether they are baileyana or gigas, they will add genetic diversity to domestically grown palms of their species. I believe that is particularly important given that Cuba was, and still is to a great extent, off limits for American citizens as a source of rare palms. They are begging to get out of their pots and into the ground. If you plant yours where it will receive full sun, heat and water, it will take off. See below for particulars:

Copernicia baileyana or gigas seedling: $25 each

Shipping: 1 @ $15, 2 or more $20  Palms send Priority Mail without pots and soil, roots wrapped in damp orchid moss, clear wrap and foil

No shipping overseas. No shipping to HI

Payment via Paypal

NOTE: PM me if interested. Please do not try to contact me through Status Update. I will not respond.

I took group photos of all 6 palms. I also numbered them and include closeup photos of each one. I am also posting photos of both species I took while in Cuba.

Copernicia baileyana, 2014, Cuba

Copernicia gigas, 2014, Cuba

Group photos of sale Copernicias

Copernicia Seedling #1

Copernicia Seedling #2

Copernicia Seedling #3

[PalmatierMeg]

More photos

Copernicia Seedling #4

Copernicia Seedling #5

Coperncia Seedling #6

[Sabal Steve]

PM sent.

[Missi]

Ooo very tempting! The little spines on the leaves are interesting! My baileyana, fallaensis, hospita, and rigida seedlings don't have those..

[Smills]

Do you currently have any Cop. Baileyana 

seedlings?

[PalmatierMeg]

They are long gone

[PalmXTC]

An easy way to tell the difference between those two is to carefully look at the outside leaf edge. Those seedlings are gigas.  Gigas have teeth (spines) on the edge of the leaf (same with hospita, macroglossa, and many other Copernicia)  Baileyana (and fallaensis) are virtually smooth on the outer edge of the leaf - they usually have little to no spines. The petiole is another matter.