Here you can see a Butia grown from seeds (RPS) and bought as B.arenicola. It´s a tiny palm with a little trunk and is flowering for the second year.

The Butia arenicola was lumped with B.paraguayensis......

Strange is that the female flowers are very tiny. Maybe the same size as that of a B.eriospatha.

I always thoght that the bigger size of female flowers was distictive of B.paraguayensis .

Compare this ripe little female flower (anthesis) on another inflorescence , to my nail....

This palm was also grown from seeds (RPS) as B.purpurascens but clearely it´s not because it is armed.

It shows a lot of similarities with the B.arenicola but no one is flowering until now. The little trunk is not very similar to the underground trunk of a .the potted B.paraguayensis that Nigel gave me some time ago (that will survive I hope)

another

Deleted

..and the trunk of Nigel´s Butia paraguayensis,that was planted in the pot exposing the normally underground trunk:

(Shall I plant it deeper? I like the little trunk!)

Beautifull striation on the base of the fronds on my B.paraguayensis

Beautifull striation on the base of the fronds on my B.paraguayensis

Butia odorata. This palm has bigger female flowers then my B.arenicola... Go figure!?

(I crossed this medium sized Butia with Syagrus oleracea with a very thin trunk)

Base of trunk detail

The B.odorata produces very tiny seeds and even smaller on the hybrid seeds (halve the size)

Here you can see two B.eriospatha seeds (bigger) compared to two normal sized B.odorata seeds (open pollinated)

Another more silver and with thinner leaflets B.odorata. This I crossed with Syagrus coronata (and S. schyzophilla) originating very tiny seeds, difficult to germinate ,but not impossible, because I have some seedlings!

hello...

...congratulations for your butias...beautiful pics, nice palms...

...i like specially the odoratas...very different between them...

...you create very interesting hibrids...!!

...best regards.

P.D. sorry for my english.

You have a very nice collection of Butias. I tried several in Ashland, Oregon (zone 8b) and they did quite well until a freak weather event this last winter brought it down to 8 degrees in the valley! I only recorded 12 at my house, but I lost most of my butias, which were still quite young.

Very nice Alberto, you've got some interesting Butia. How long since germination on the B. arenicola? I bought some B. odorata seeds from RPS, but have had no luck so far in germinating them, any advice with these?

Matt

Thank you all for the kind words!

You have a very nice collection of Butias. I tried several in Ashland, Oregon (zone 8b) and they did quite well until a freak weather event this last winter brought it down to 8 degrees in the valley! I only recorded 12 at my house, but I lost most of my butias, which were still quite young.

What a shame you lost some of your smaller butias. Which species were hardier. Do you have B.eriospatha and capitata? How they are?

Very nice Alberto, you've got some interesting Butia. How long since germination on the B. arenicola? I bought some B. odorata seeds from RPS, but have had no luck so far in germinating them, any advice with these?

Matt

The Butia arenicla are +- 4 years old since germination. I always use the Collingbourne method (baggy with vermiculite) and temperatures around 30 degr.C. I have also B.odoratas from seeds that are +- the same size as the arenicolas. This two odoratas I bought from a nursery here and I´m not sure how old they are....

Errata:

The ´´base of trunk´´ from post 11 it´s the trunk of the little B.arenicola from post 1.....

Nice Butias Alberto, I find it interesting to compare the pure forms of Butia you grow to the locally common Butia sp. here. The variability suggests we have multiple sp and hybrid butias in cultivation here.

Is seed shape and size a constant characteristic between diffrent Butia sp. ? Do eriospatha have the largest seed of Butia?

thanks

Luke

Nice Butias Alberto, I find it interesting to compare the pure forms of Butia you grow to the locally common Butia sp. here. The variability suggests we have multiple sp and hybrid butias in cultivation here.

Is seed shape and size a constant characteristic between diffrent Butia sp. ? Do eriospatha have the largest seed of Butia?

thanks

Luke

Probably B.eriospatha has larger seeds than B.capitata and certainly bigger than microspadix, ´´my´´odoratas and paraguayensis. I remember a photo of a very big fruiting B.yatay (from Rio Grande do Sul) population that Kelen posted some time ago.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=18739&st=0&p=314003&hl=yatay&fromsearch=1&#entry314003

I also have a Butia I purchased as a seedling labeled B. eriospathe that is really slow. Is eriospathe slow for you as well, or do I have a dud

Those odorata X Syagrus could be a really nice looking palm having a slender trunk. I look forward to seeing them as they grow.

B.capitata is very slow for me. The native eriospatha are rockets compared to capitatas. B.eriospatha has almost the same speed of BxP!!!!!

Alberto,that second odorata I think is a belvedere one !! That seed was from Rio grande do Sul where odorata is much bigger.

Those small Butias are beautiful. Your arenicola shows perfectly what is wrong with the current classification, it is hopeless.

Thank god Lorenzi is reviewing it all together with Noblick and will make changes.

My two Tres Lagoas paraguayensis are both now growing. I planted them at same depth as they were taken. maybe this is why yours doesnt grow ? Or maybe it is because mine are in the ground.

B.capitata is very slow for me. The native eriospatha are rockets compared to capitatas. B.eriospatha has almost the same speed of BxP!!!!!

That's interesting, my capitata are moderate growers for me.

Alberto,that second odorata I think is a belvedere one !! That seed was from Rio grande do Sul where odorata is much bigger.

Those small Butias are beautiful. Your arenicola shows perfectly what is wrong with the current classification, it is hopeless.

Thank god Lorenzi is reviewing it all together with Noblick and will make changes.

My two Tres Lagoas paraguayensis are both now growing. I planted them at same depth as they were taken. maybe this is why yours doesnt grow ? Or maybe it is because mine are in the ground.

Yes Nigel,my two bigger odoratas are from´´ Belvedere Nuresry´´but clearly are from two distinctive populations!

I hope in future it will be more clear all this Butia species/variations. Maybe with DNA analysis...

Nigel,I think I´llalso plant my Butia Três Lagoas.

B.capitata is very slow for me. The native eriospatha are rockets compared to capitatas. B.eriospatha has almost the same speed of BxP!!!!!

That's interesting, my capitata are moderate growers for me.

How surprising Alberto...Butia capitata and purpurascens are much faster growers than eriospatha here...The one you brought me last year just sits and laughs at me...haha...she's probably homesick of the Champagne fert you give to all the Butiás...

By the way...what's your favourite Butia, Dr. Al Barkema?

Great stuff Alberto, how many Butias you growing in total?

Is seed shape and size a constant characteristic between diffrent Butia sp. ? Do eriospatha have the largest seed of Butia?

thanks

Luke

The difference in seed size and shape between different Butia populations is incredible.

I used to think that eriospatha had the biggest seed but this is not so.

The Butia on the coast in south Rio Grande do Sul and Uruguay has a very big round seed slightly bigger than eriosptha but this is not the winner.

Alberto and I saw some Butias in south central Rio Grande do Sul with very big seeds, and subsequently kelen discovered a population in the wild there with enormous seeds that are like smooth parajubaea torallyii seeds with very thick shells.

B.capitata is very slow for me. The native eriospatha are rockets compared to capitatas. B.eriospatha has almost the same speed of BxP!!!!!

That's interesting, my capitata are moderate growers for me.

How surprising Alberto...Butia capitata and purpurascens are much faster growers than eriospatha here...The one you brought me last year just sits and laughs at me...haha...she's probably homesick of the Champagne fert you give to all the Butiás...

By the way...what's your favourite Butia, Dr. Al Barkema?

Gileno,I think B.capitata needs more heat to grow...I don´t know...I have two capitatas and they are snails....

My favourite butia is eriospatha because of the appearence and also the big fruits with little or not fibers and a taste somewhat similar to apple mixed with....?

Hi Alberto,

This summer was born some Butia lallemantii by seeds, finally!

Did you get some seedling?

best

Hi Alberto,

This summer was born some Butia lallemantii by seeds, finally!

Did you get some seedling?

best

Zero,nothing,nada........

Difficult to germinate. I sent some to some people and they could germinate a few.....