First flowerings at the Palmetum

[Carlo Morici 151]

Dear friends,

Here I have some pictures to show of the recent botanical "happenings" at the Palmetum in Santa Cruz.

Carlo, Tenerife

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Wallichia disticha, in late July 2007, flowering after seven years in the ground. The inflorescence is now (October) starting to dry out and no seeds were produced. Possibly summer was too hot and dry for this palm from higher elevations. This was not a strong specimen. Other plants are growing better and the next bloomings may not coincide with summer.

Coccothrinax clarensis ssp. clarensis. First flowering in September 2007. No fruit set.

Seeds collected in Santa Clara, Cuba 1996.

[Carlo Morici 151]

Chambeyronia macrocarpa, first flowering, in September 2007, after a failed attempt in 2006

A Brahea sp. in July 2007, flowering profusely for its second year. Any Brahea expert?

Fruits on Licuala spinosa. October 2007. This species fruited regularly during the past years.

[Carlo Morici 151]

Coccothrinax macroglossa. First flowering. September 2007. Some fruits are being developed.

Seeds collected in Camaguey, Cuba 1996.

It is not related to palm flowerings, but here is a nice composition of some Hawaiian endemic species.

- Palm: Pritchardia munroi, group sown in 1998, it did not flower yet.

- Flower: Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. inmaculatus

- Tree: Acacia koa

[fastfeat 131]

Carlo--

Nice pictures! Quite a variety of species growing there.

The Brahea looks like B. brandegeii  to me.

Thanks for posting!

[Charles Wychgel 66]

Nice one Carlo,

The Brahea could be B.edulis methinks?

What's this thing with palms first time flowering but not setting seed?

This happened a lot in my garden for instance Jubaeaopsis, Allagoptera even Trachycarpus and Butia.

Any thoughts?

[Carlo Morici 151]

I have never checked the Braheas, they have been "sp." for some time and now they are flowering and fruiting, but I have not had time to give a deeper look. I really don't know what they are.

From my experience palms often set their first fruits on thir second year of flowering and the first year is just a "trial". I heard this comments from most growers.

From a physiological point of view, the plant is not ready: sexual hormons, trunk size and overall vigour is not enough yet. Also, some "first" inflorescences are much smaller or simpler in branching than normal (such as both Coccothrinax shown above), lacking sexual parts and possibly produced late in season.

From an ecological point of view, some plants can start blooming much before fruiting, just to start attracting pollinators to a new location.

Carlo

[Charles Wychgel 66]

(Carlo Morici @ Oct. 12 2007,11:39)

QUOTE

From my experience palms often set their first fruits on thir second year of flowering and the first year is just a "trial". I heard this comments from most growers.

From a physiological point of view, the plant is not ready: sexual hormons, trunk size and overall vigour is not enough yet. Also, some "first" inflorescences are much smaller or simpler in branching than normal (such as both Coccothrinax shown above), lacking sexual parts and possibly produced late in season.

Well thanks Carlo that is  a good argument

[Carlo Morici 151]

Some updates, just two years later:

Coccothrinax clarensis ssp. clarensis produce abundant fruits

Chambeyronia macrocarpa Dropped the developing infructescences during the past two years. This years looks better than ever.

There is a first inflorescence on Pritchardia remota

[Carlo Morici 151]

Livistona fulva - First fruits

Here a few self-sown seedlings of Livistona lanuginosa are allowed to grow larger by the mother plants. This is what comes after fruiting.

Copernicia ekmanii is blooming for the second time. Last year inflorescence were few and small and dropped.

Copernicia ekmanii 2

[freakypalmguy 489]

Very nice pictures Carlo.

Matt

[Kostas 155]

Great pictures and speciemen Carlo! The Palmetum has matured very nicely!!! The Coccothrinax macroglossa rule!

What is the fan palm on the right, at the background of the first picture of Copernicia eckmanii? A Washingtonia robusta or something else? It looks quite drooping and tropical!!!

[Carlo Morici 151]

Thank you Matt and Kostas,

Kostas, the palms behind/above Copernicia ekmanii are Coccothrinax barbadensis. The group of C.macroglossa that you like, now looks larger and better! They too fruited properly.

Carlo

[Kostas 155]

I thought it looked like C. barbadensis too but remembered you saying that you dont have experience with this species and dont know how fast it grows so i thought it was out of question...Its a beauty indeed and i guess C. guantanamensis/hiorami is even more beautyfull with similar drooping leafs plus silvery undersides!

The macroglossa have putted on quite some growth from when they were seeds!!! I imagined them as slower than that,that is acceptable to good growth compared with a few other New Caledonian palms...