Allagoptera Arenaria Coming Full Circle

[TheMadScientist]

October 2011, I had purchased this from a "Palm Talker".  It seemed to take a couple of years  before it was showing any growth.  I liked the 24 deg. F low, no weapons, it could take the heat / low humidity I have to deal with.  My current photo is more of a close up as it has a large P.  Theophrasti dominating attention behind it.  The "corn cob on a stick" looking seed pod presented itself last year, but I didn't see any pollen being offered to it.  This year the seed pod was fully developed, but again, I wasn't seeing the pollen contribution.  The last week of September, individual seeds would raise from the cob, then get released.  The seeds collected look like Halloween Candy Corn and that fruit is easily removed.  I had concerns that these would not germinate, but in the last 3 days.....4 of the 21 seeds sown have started The Circle of Life.  7 weeks to germinate in my converted ice chest, 40 watt drop light, lid raised 1" and it sees 80-85 deg. F 24/7 which I water each day due to evaporation.

[TheMadScientist]

Final tally of germination will be 10 out of 21 seeds collected the day each seed was ejected from it's "cob"....as fresh as could be.  Seeds sown on 9-28-2021 in 20 oz. cups with drain holes after a 2 day water soak and put into my germination box.  Seeds #1 - 3 germinated 11-13-2021, seeds #4 - 7 germinated 11-20-2021, seed #8 germinated 11-27-2021, seed #9 germinated 12-7-2021 and seed #10 germinated 12-16-2021.  Here is a 2 month family photo while in the 50 deg. F garage at night and moved outside to 68 - 72 deg. F non-direct sunlight for 6 hours.

[DoomsDave]

@TheMadScientist bless you for giving hope to allagoptera junkies!

You make the rest of seem downright sane by comparison…..

[DoomsDave]

I’m curious to know what pollinated those allagoptera flowers. Mine have flowered for literally years and no seeds I ever found.

[TheMadScientist]

You mean I might have to wait 10 more years to see if I have a 'FRANKEN ALLAGOPTERA"?  "I cannot tell a lie", I had to go to Palmpedia to view photos to joggle anything I should have seen.  The photo at the very bottom, middle is exactly what I had after about half of the seeds were released.  To the right of that is a flower with what appears to be a single BEE doing it's thing....I do NOT ever remember seeing that flower during the year, let alone near the time of the "cob" being created.

[realarch]

Good going, these are  nice, resilient  little palms. The seeds are edible too and to me taste like cantaloupe. 

Tim

[TheMadScientist]

6 Month UPDATE for growth....these are now starting their 2nd strap leaf.  As Tim @realarch mentioned, a great RESILIENT palm.  It didn't get sunburn back in December putting them out in direct sun after staying indoors during the night/low temp.'s..  The 2nd photo was taken on CINCO DE MAYO 5-5-2022.  @DoomsDave,  I found a flower cob that I might have confused last year with a seed cob, but within 3 weeks, it has kind of dried up.  I did not see any bees on this.