Caryota mitis inflorescence to mature seeds

[dwimss]

Hi,

How long do you think it takes to a C. mitis to get mature fruits ??

Here some pictures for the current inflorescence stade, its seems to involve very slowly its been almost like this since last December 2016, so now almost one year. Note thats this palm is in a mediterraneen climate (similar to SoCal).

I'm hopping to get viable seeds from this palm.

 

 

 

Also i notice that some seeds will not get to maturity they just die, do you think  the other have changes to give mature fruits ??? (see picture below) :  

 

 

 

Thank.

[dwimss]

Anyone with C. mitis experience in SoCal, Spain, Portugal, North Florida ... 

[DoomsDave]

I have a specimen, in seed stage for at least two years, so far no ripe seeds.

Waiting.

 

[dwimss]

3 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

I have a specimen, in seed stage for at least two years, so far no ripe seeds.

Waiting.

 

Thanks Dave thats good to know, I dont know since when exacltly this one started in seed stage but last year in december its was almost like this.
I hope to get some seeds from it next summer. We will see.... 

 

[Kris]

On 11/13/2017, 12:25:54, dwimss said:

Anyone with C. mitis experience in SoCal, Spain, Portugal, North Florida ... 

Dear Mehdi,

I heard that seeds of Caryota Mitis and Arenga Engleri and few cycad seeds have some kind of neuro toxins which creates a kind of itching sensation in the area of the skin where its touched.So wear a rubber gloves when collecting and cleaning these seeds.And seeds when ripe are usually dark in colour and fall in the ground.For me those seeds germinate better than plucked ones.

Hope this helps. 

Kris.

[sonoranfans]

3 hours ago, Kris said:

Dear Mehdi,

I heard that seeds of Caryota Mitis and Arenga Engleri and few cycad seeds have some kind of neuro toxins which creates a kind of itching sensation in the area of the skin where its touched.So wear a rubber gloves when collecting and cleaning these seeds.And seeds when ripe are usually dark in colour and fall in the ground.For me those seeds germinate better than plucked ones.

Hope this helps. 

Kris.

Actually Kris, its not a neuro toxin.  The skin irritant you speak of is oxalic acid.  It will burn your skin.

[sonoranfans]

http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Caryota_mitis    "Avoid contact with the red fruit produced by this palm. It contains oxalic acid which is toxic when ingested, and contact with skin may result in severe chemical burns. In India, an edible starch is extracted from the stem, and the palm heart eaten. Like other palms, it is also tapped for sap which is made into palm sugar or fermented to make toddy. The fuzz from the young leaves are used as tinder to start a fire. The palm is also used in construction. In India, the leaves are used for thatching or woven into household items, the fibres from the leaf sheath are made into rope, and seeds made into beads. However, the fruit and the whole plant can cause severe itching because they contain minute needle-like crystals. "

[Palm Tree Jim]

12 minutes ago, sonoranfans said:

Actually Kris, its not a neuro toxin.  The skin irritant you speak of is oxalic acid.  It will burn your skin.

Recently cut down several flowering mitis and it does burn and itch your skin.

I was very careful and it still got me.......

[dwimss]

4 hours ago, Kris said:

Dear Mehdi,

I heard that seeds of Caryota Mitis and Arenga Engleri and few cycad seeds have some kind of neuro toxins which creates a kind of itching sensation in the area of the skin where its touched.So wear a rubber gloves when collecting and cleaning these seeds.And seeds when ripe are usually dark in colour and fall in the ground.For me those seeds germinate better than plucked ones.

Hope this helps. 

Kris.

Thanks for the advice, I read it on the web. And I will avoid any direct contact with the mature black seeds.

[dwimss]

22 minutes ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Recently cut down several flowering mitis and it does burn and itch your skin.

I was very careful and it still got me.......

How long it took for you Jim to get mature seeds ?

[Kris]

7 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

Actually Kris, its not a neuro toxin.  The skin irritant you speak of is oxalic acid.  It will burn your skin.

Dear Tom,

Thanks for the correction.

Love,

Kris.

 

[Steve Mac]

On 11/12/2017, 1:13:26, dwimss said:

"How long do you think it takes to a C. mitis to get mature fruits ??"

Ours was like that for a while, then later, seeds did form and now we have hundreds coming up all over the yard.

So I would not worry.

[Palm Tree Jim]

15 hours ago, dwimss said:

How long it took for you Jim to get mature seeds ?

I did not wait for the seed to mature. It was cut down soon after it flowered.

[sonoranfans]

I have a 22-25' tall mitis that has shown some flower stalks but has 7-8 large (5"+ caliper) trunks in a dense cluster, its hard to see in there.  I understand each trunk dies after flowering but these palms sucker so more will come up.  The amount of maintenance work on this is possibly going to be the greatest of any palm I have.  In the end you have to cut them down.  I understand that if you use a heavy oil covering on your skin prior to handling the seeds, you will prevent burns.  Coconut oil would work, in principle.  (The oxalic acid is soluble in water but not oil).  So you want a film of oil on any exposed skin, including the face.  After handling rinse the oxalic off with a hose thoroughly then remove the oil with soap.

[tropicbreeze]

Interesting to note that despite the toxicity of the fruits they are eaten by birds and the seeds spread around. Here they're considered a weed. As soon as a trunk on any of mine show signs of flowering the chainsaw comes out. Have to leave the trunks out in a hot sunny spot or they try  to keep growing. Don't know if they can though. Unfortunately many people have them and don't worry about stopping them from seeding. I have lots of seedlings coming up on my place, from seeds brought in by birds from elsewhere. They're hard to get rid of once they get established.

[Steve Mac]

17 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

"but these palms sucker so more will come up"

Even my little suckers flowered a foot from the ground, so they will die too.

17 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

"you will prevent burns."

I have handled tons of the stuff not realizing that it may be a hazard, and I have never had a tingle.

I suspect that the irritant weathers off fairly quickly.

2 hours ago, tropicbreeze said:

"they try to keep growing".

When you cut a lot of palms/plants off into sections, they will push out the centre, but palms do not have the supporting structures to make them viable.