Is my needle palm male or female?

[DTS]

This thing is taking forever to fully push out this flower, but the flowers finally started to push out. Is it possible to tell right now?

[SeanK]

I can't tell by what little I see in the photo. Needles are a bit odd. I have 3 phenotypes.

1. Mostly male - predominant trunk, only one or two suckers. Up to about 4-ft tall they typically average 12 leaflets.

2. Mostly female - center trunk not as dominant, usually 6 or more suckers. Up to 4-ft tall they typically average 18 leaflets.

Both of these tend to produce opposite flowers every few years.

3.  A small, crawling type that never grows beyond 3-ft tall. I have not noticed female flowers on these.

I have a half dozen in my yard.

[DTS]

9 minutes ago, SeanK said:

I can't tell by what little I see in the photo. Needles are a bit odd. I have 3 phenotypes.

1. Mostly male - predominant trunk, only one or two suckers. Up to about 4-ft tall they typically average 12 leaflets.

2. Mostly female - center trunk not as dominant, usually 6 or more suckers. Up to 4-ft tall they typically average 18 leaflets.

Both of these tend to produce opposite flowers every few years.

3.  A small, crawling type that never grows beyond 3-ft tall. I have not noticed female flowers on these.

I have a half dozen in my yard.

Here is a photo

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, DTS1 said:

This thing is taking forever to fully push out this flower, but the flowers finally started to push out. Is it possible to tell right now?

Do some research on the differences between Pistillate ( Female ) and Staminate ( Male ) flower anatomy... Then apply what you see to what the flowers look like as they open.. Even if you have to get down on the ground to get a close look at them.. 

If a Female specimen,  anatomy should be quite obvious ( No Anthers / an obvious Ovary in the center of each flower ).

[Phoenikakias]

1 hour ago, SeanK said:

I can't tell by what little I see in the photo. Needles are a bit odd. I have 3 phenotypes.

1. Mostly male - predominant trunk, only one or two suckers. Up to about 4-ft tall they typically average 12 leaflets.

2. Mostly female - center trunk not as dominant, usually 6 or more suckers. Up to 4-ft tall they typically average 18 leaflets.

 

Wow very similar looks usually the sexual differentiation in the Phoenix theophrasti apart from the polygamus trait of course.

[Bigfish]

Man, that is a FUNKY looking inflorescence, haha!  I’m inclined to say female, but those colors are pretty dark.  Here’s a few examples of female inflorescences (I was pollinating a couple of them, that’s why they look frosted in one picture).

[Bigfish]

And here’s a couple of examples of males.  The first picture shows one just emerging, but the second picture is a better example of a fully emerged male inflorescence.

[DTS]

theres more flowers on the other side too. just noticed that.

[Bigfish]

19 hours ago, DTS1 said:

theres more flowers on the other side too. just noticed that.

Definitely female flowers.