The White Wanga palm

[John in Andalucia]

Any Pigafetta filaris fans out there? I received a few seeds from an English palm friend in Thailand, and have two sprouts so far.

(As a zone 11-12 palm it will remain as an indoor specimen.)

Here's the first seedling, displaying about a weeks growth since the cotyledon forming.

The seeds are 'as tough as stone', having only the thinnest layer of endocarp covering a very dense endosperm.The embryo sits deep within the centre of the seed and de-lidding is not an option. The germination pore is well protected, and attempts to de-lid will result in the the embryo ejecting. I'm not sure if germination is sporadic, or short-lived - hence, this may be my lot (out of 15 seeds) but these were super-fresh seeds, so we'll see. Excited, nevertheless!

 

[realarch]

That seedling looks healthy and happy. Be super careful transplanting as Pigafetta are notorious for having sensitive roots that can cause death even with slightest disturbance. When I planted mine, I just cut the bottom of the pot out and planted the whole thing. Good luck, the white Pigafetta are beautiful palms and worth the grow if you have the climate and space. 

Tim