Encephalartos sclavoi

[George Sparkman]

Encephalartos sclavoi - bronze emergent.

I came across this one earlier today. It looked strange from a distance until I came closer and realized it was pupping out of the leafbases which in itself is not that unusual to a couple but in this case it is just going nuts.

It has 11 pups forming from between leafbases and there are more developing. There are also two from below the grade (which also could be out of leafbases).

All my other E.sclavois have "normal" pups if any.

The most (between-leafbase-pups) I have on a E.horridus (which are known to be strong puppers) are 5 and that plant has 16 regular pups and is very large. This E.sclavoi on the other hand is fairly small.

Happy growing,

George Sparkman

Cycads-n-Palms.com

[Palmzilla]

Wow! That sclavoi is going to turn into a multi head monster!

I recently bought a big 12'' true blue arenarius. It was field grown so I had to dig it up. The soil it was in was pure DG and super dry which made the dig up process very hard. I wasn't able to get a very good root system in the transfer. Anyway, I re-planted it and a few months later it coned from the stress of the transfer. The last few weeks it has been pupping like crazy, 4 pups appeared from the base and two pups just popped out on the side mid way up the caudex. Once it started pupping the cone started to grow fast which I'm thinking since the pups are feeding energy to the main stem now. Cycads do funny things!

[George Sparkman]

Here is a follow up picture.

It has 14 pups forming from between leafbases now and it will sure turn out to be one freaky plant.

Happy growing,

George Sparkman

Cycads-n-Palms.com

[Mr Cycad]

Cool specimen George! This one is one of my favorites!

[yeye]

George, have you got this specimen yet?

Absolutely stunning form and pupping machine!!

 

[PalmTreeDude]

I like it! 

[Al in Kona]

Wow George, what do you think brought about so many pups forming on your E. sclavoi.  My plant has grown very big and coning but no pups yet - see pic.

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, Al in Kona said:

Wow George, what do you think brought about so many pups forming on your E. sclavoi.  My plant has grown very big and coning but no pups yet - see pic.

While we wait for George's response, I'll give a guess.  I'm guessing that with many E. sclavoi, that you will occasionally get the outlier plant, one which isn't typical and is in the tails of the normal distribution of plants.  If you are growing enough of any plant, you will occasionally come across the exception plants, which is also why George shared the photo... it wasn't typical in his experience either.  I'll digress just a little from this plant to add that part of the fun of selecting Cycads from George is that he has so many of individual species, that you can choose among "typical" and "atypical" plants.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Bump for update 

[annafl]

Sorry, I'm not George, and I hate to take up his space, but I just thought I'd show ours.  My female E. sclavoi not only brought on a beautiful, monster cone this year, but a flush soon after as well, and two pups at the base.  One was separated a few months ago and is rooting nicely with a recent two-leaf flush, but the other is still on the mother plant.  Need to get to it soon.  The leaves emerge green and evolve a bluish tint over time.

Edited December 11, 2017 by annafl

[Palm Tree Jim]

Very nice.