Butia identification

[kristof p]

Can anyone Id this Butia sp.? 

The fruits are large and red/purple when ripe. the flowers are purple. I don't have recent pictures of the whole palm but will make some tomorrow. It grows quite fast and has a thick stem, almost like a Jubaea.  I bought it as B. capitata some 15 years ago... could it be B. eriospatha instead?

some pictures of the seeds when ripe 

[Scott W]

Palmpedia states eriospatha is the fastest growing and most cold hardy of the Butia.  Also states they can have red fruit, so it fits the bill.  There is also a pic showing seed differences there under eriopsatha, so that might help a little.

Unfortunately though trees in the Butia species have so many similarities its hard to distinguish them apart.  Dr. Noblick published a paper on using leaf samples to help distinguish between four types, maybe that will help...you can find it below using the link.  

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Larry-Noblick

 Beautiful tree and phenomenal fruit color, what do you do with it all???

[PalmatierMeg]

I don’t know what it is but it is beautiful. Hope you know a lot of people to share seeds with.

[RJ]

Hard to tell but the spathe doesn’t look eriospatha … usually a give away. 

[Roy_marshall]

My butia has same fruit and also purple stemmed flowers. Grows fast. No fur on spathe. Definitely armed. Round/oblong seeds, 3 eyed. And some purple on the leaf betiols closest to the trunk. 

[Scott W]

On 12/24/2022 at 6:26 PM, Roy_marshall said:

My butia has same fruit and also purple stemmed flowers. Grows fast. No fur on spathe. Definitely armed. Round/oblong seeds, 3 eyed. And some purple on the leaf betiols closest to the trunk. 

Hey Roy, welcome to the forum!

Curious where you are located, as I'd be interested in some seed of this particular Butia.

Thanks.

[yeye]

Butia eriosphata have tomentose flower spathe .

i don't see tomentum on your pic

 

[Frond-friend42]

I think butia purpurescens because of the purple fruit. 🤔

[kristof p]

On 12/31/2022 at 3:36 PM, yeye said:

Butia eriosphata have tomentose flower spathe .

i don't see tomentum on your pic

 

there is no brown tomentose on the flower spathes so no it is not B. eriospatha. But I can not find any information about B. capitata fruits having a red/purple colour.... 

[Roy_marshall]

On 12/29/2022 at 10:19 AM, Scott W said:

Hey Roy, welcome to the forum!

Curious where you are located, as I'd be interested in some seed of this particular Butia.

Thanks.

I’m in Waller Texas. Direct message me. I’d be more than happy to send some seeds. I forgot to mention this specific palm took the freeze of 2021 un protected. Got down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 hrs and was below 10 degrees for more than 12 hrs. With Athena total time below 32 was 4 days straight.