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Anyone recognise these palm fruits


Rose

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Hi Im trying to Id this palm seed. Someone very kindly gave me these in Cairns Australia last week. Unfortunately they didn't know the name, NOID SP (lol) and even more unfortunately my phone ran out of battery so I didn't end up taking a picture of the palms. They looked very much like Ponapea hentyi, except clumping (though they could've planted a bunch together). The broad leaflets are very shiny green, almost metallic, perhaps unlike P. hentyi though I haven't seen one. Still the closest I can find in likeness on the net. Possibly something from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia in that region as they had collected seed from a trip there awhile back.

I tried scaling down the size of the picture of the thin fleshed very distinctive fruit but it didn't work. Beautifully pear shaped, the colour of red chillies. In reality they're exactly half the size of the second picture (tiny), the first is a blow up for detail. Very fiddly to clean but not difficult, just needed to scrape away the red with a finger nail hoping it wasn't toxic.

Very distinctive fruit and a charming, attractive little palm with its broad butterfly winged shiny leaflets held horizontally in pairs along the midrib. The leaf size is nicely in proportion to the slender trunk(s). About seven foot tall. Growing in deep shade at that time though I think they get bright dappled shade in the morning.

Any possible tips would be appreciated, I can look them up.

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Edited by Rose
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Looks like a Balaka seemannii from the photos. Can you post a photo of one cleaned?

They must have planted a few together, or its a Ptychosperma 

i would bet a couple bucks on B. seemannii

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2 hours ago, knell said:

i would bet a couple bucks on B. seemannii

Already to send you on an all inclusive couple of weeks holiday to Samoa!!! Unfortunately the endocarp is quite different from B. seemannii (so is the fruit), I did however get B. seemannii and microcarpa so you can go away anyway. LOL

The endocarp on these is more or less round to slightly ovoidal, no ridges, angles beaks. I stripped one down, pulled off all the fibres. Think mango shape (not Thai mango) you know the big fat roundish ones, can't think of  a word that describes that. I've planted them already and they're so small I decided to allow them to be completely covered, so no photo, fingers crossed until they hatch!

I had no idea some palms had such tiny seeds. I got a Dypsis fruit the size of a grain of rice.

It could still be a Balaka, though. Maybe they don't all have weird endocarps. From Hodel http://www.palms.org/palmsjournal/2010/v54n4p161-188.pdf they "often" have weird endocarps, also not nearly so skinny trunked but fairly skinny.......it's also from Hodel et al that I recognise the endocarp of what I also have as B.seemannii, also a very attractive thing. So well done! I would never have got there. These have the same leaflets and are even more attractive palm (subjective of course), not so dusty lol if you know what I mean, maybe less hairy in parts if my memory serves me well. Could be Ptychosperma......

Edited by Rose
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My first thought was Ptychosperma as well.  I seem to remember collecting seed of this color and similar size/shape from Ptycho. elegans or Ptycho. macarthurii even though they're usually a bit rounder.  Was the seed itself a similar elongated shape?  Ptychosperma caryotoides and vestitum have similar fishtail-like leaves to the Ponapea hentyi.

Jon

Jon Sunder

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5 hours ago, Fusca said:

My first thought was Ptychosperma as well.  I seem to remember collecting seed of this color and similar size/shape from Ptycho. elegans.........Jon

Nein none of the above. Leaflets are broad, think Ponapea hentyi with a glassy shine. The seed, endocarp fibrous very much smaller than the tiny fruit and sits in the bulb of the pear shaped fruit,  it's globose, rounded at the apex very slightly pointed at the base. I didn't look with the loop but to the naked eye (finger nail) there looks like there could be some kind of subbasal depression. I hope I didn't kill the one I stripped.

What sets it apart (for me anyway) from many of the Ptychosperma is that the leaf is not long and arching but rather quite prettily and neatly in proportion to the size of the slenderish trunks, so shortish and arching with those very regular (neat) wide full shiny leaflets. It is really a very attractive little ray of sunshine. Stands out in the shade where it grows.

For the moment Im going with Ptychosperma, though because of the general region....... honestly dont want to touch as I disinfected the seed and growing media (I know) trying for max germination as there are only the ten.

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