Tahina spectabilis seeds available!!!!

[Tyrone]

Bruno, That's fantastic. It's a win, win situation for everyone involved. It's nice to hear good news like that. It makes a big change from all the bad news on the ecological front. I hope the locals prosper, and the new wells etc, and roofing improve the lives and general health of the community.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Palm Guy]

Update on my Tahina's

These are the one of the three Tahina seeds I kept outside during our winter.

The ones outside required slightly more watering but did not seem to mind drying out for a day or so during cooler weather. As you can see from the photos that one is just starting to break the soil surface along with two others not photographed. The coldest temperature they experienced was a low of 50F which happened during three days of pretty cool weather in March. March is generally our coolest month. So they survived just fine from February until now.

Mean Temp. Max Temp. Min Temp. Rain Sea Surface Temp.

3/17/2008 14.3 / 57.8 16.9 / 62.4 10.0 / 50.0 0.18 0.71 6.84 20.3 / 68.5 29.94 / 1013.9

3/18/2008 13.9 / 57.0 15.1 / 59.2 11.6 / 52.9 0.05 0.76 6.89 20.3 / 68.5 30.12 / 1020.0

3/19/2008 15.9 / 60.6 17.7 / 63.9 14.1 / 57.4 0.00 0.76 6.89 18.1 / 64.6 30.16 / 1021.3

February Temperatures

March Temperatures

April Temperatures

May Temperatures

[Palm Guy]

The remaining 7 that I left inside. I got worried about seeing some people getting their first leaves so I added some heat (Temperatures between 70 and 85F). Here are the results with can of soda for size reference...

Conclusions: Definitely a cool tolerant palm to some extent, but slows down considerably during cooler temperatures. High temperatures is what make these things kick.

[Kris]

Dear Bruno

thanks for the updates on the progress & changes that Tahina seeds sale is going to make in the locals lives...

And dear Toby

its really nice to see that you have done your part both for the survival of this new palm globally and for its local people !

lots of love,

Kris

[bruno]

After viewing all your seedlings here are the ones from the site! 100 of them.

[Breadfruit Bill]

Wow!

[bruno]

And here is the dead father and mother... It took just a few months to reach that stage. Remember, the size of this inflorescence is like a three storey building, maybe 8/9 meters.

[bruno]

Xavier and Nathalie call this one "the president". It is the largest of the old ones around, a mighty palm.

[bruno]

This one is the dead inflorescence of the palm that first seeded in january 2007.

[bruno]

Here is "Bruno the sailor" (yes, his name is the same as mine) who went everyday to the site, one hour away, everyday in january, to watch the development of the seeds and who put up the net around the tahina in order to collect them. The leaves are superb and huge.

[bruno]

Xavier pointing his finger.

[bgl]

Bruno,

Thanks a lot for posting these photos. Especially the last one with the other Bruno is fascinating.

I'm curious about one thing: do you know, or is it possible to find out, how many Tahinas have flowered and produced viable seeds since Xavier took the first photos in Dec 2006? You mentioned the one that flowered in Jan. 2007. I received seeds from Toby in late Feb 2008 and I have to assume these seeds are from a different individual. If so, that makes two palms that flowered within the last 18 months. Do you know of any others? And are there any others that, based on their height/size, are likely to flower in the near future? This is obviously of interest to a lot of Forum members, and would also be important to the local community since they're getting a certain portion of the seed sales.

Bo-Göran

[bruno]

dear Bo, you remember the tahina topic started as "borassus or corypha in madagascar?" in december 96! There was one palm flowering then, the one that made all the fuss...

We got 4000 seeds out of that one. I do not dare say what happened, it was our little local scandal with Xavier and I and a third person I will not mention who plaid foul. Plus, plenty of the seeds had already been bored by minute bugs.

Then, another one started flowering seven months later and gave seeds this january 98. Those are the seeds you all have, the ones that have been collected from the net, so that they do not touch the ground and have not been eaten by the minute bugs.

As I recall, "the president" is by far the largest one, but it has not flowered yet. So, for the moment we cannot draw any conclusions on which other one will flower or when. bruno

[Kim]

Excuse me, but the "Borassus or Corypha in madagascar" thread was started in December 2006, not 1996. I know time flies, but not that fast! Was that a keyboard error?

[bruno]

sorry Kim, I was not even born in 1996! Yes it was 2006

[deezpalms]

Bruno, thanks for the great story of the development of this ultra special palm & the wonderful pictures! My only regret is that I did not act quick enough to purchase the seeds when they were available

[Kris]

Dear Bruno

thanks for those visual updates and my eyes were simply feasting over the young palm sprouts around the dead mother palm !

Are the locals going to dig these little babies out of that cramped-up location, in a appropriate season and replant it around the most viable and safe locations nearby ? say like a street line up or avanue trees ? since that would look terrefic..and leave just 2 or 3 babies to exist near its Mama's location..?

Thanks & love,

Kris

[bruno]

For the beauty of the leaf.

[bruno]

Kris, those seedlings will remain there. Xavier has had about a thousand new seedlings planted all around the 9000 ha of the cashew plantation and villages nearby.

The following pic is one of the seedlings of 2007.

[bruno]

Three more pics of the giants.

[Breadfruit Bill]

Seedlings now available to US residents...

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?sh...mp;#entry208120

[bruno]

Last but not least: the star among stars! Tahina in the leaves...

[Gtlevine]

Such a beautiful palm, I only hope it turns out that this palm grows in So Cal.

Gary

[Kim]

Bruno: what have the daytime temperatures been while you were there taking photos? Love the photo of 'Tahina in the leaves'. Well, I love all the photos in fact! Thanks for keeping us informed, I appreciate all the posts.

[bgl]

Bruno,

Again, thanks a lot for the additional photos! The one with Tahina surrounded by Tahinas is a real winner! And what a story! Absolutely amazing.

Thanks for everything you've done to make this happen!

Bo-Göran

[Gtlevine]

I also must mention one of the things I love about Tahina's, they look just as good as seedlings as they do as adults, just minature versions. This will make them attractive as landscape plants even at a young age.

Gary

[bruno]

Well, unfortunately I did not take those beautiful pictures. I have no been back up at Masiloka (where the tahinas are) since january 2007! Those are Nathalie's pictures. Only a mother could take a pic of young Tahina like that.

Kim, during the daytime it is around 28°C and late in the evening around 23°C; In Tana it is more like 20°C the daytime and 9°C in the evening. Cold...

Thanks Bo and all for your encouragements.

But it is Xavier who has to be congratulated. He is the one who coordinates all that what will happen in the villages and the protection, and the ideas, certainly the ideas. And who will receive the money and manage it for the people. He has done so much in that area, creating schools, and vegetable gardens, and fruit orchards and chicken farms and ducks and plenty of other stuff. He loves it. He loves living in the middle of nowhere, and his wife Nathalie accepts it all with lots of happiness. Xavier had it all happen!

I saw him when he was 1 day old, I was 5 then... in madagascar, a long time ago. My mother and his mother were best friends.

I happened to be passionate about palms, he had a new one to offer. And then palmtalk with all of you and JD and Joro and Kew.

You've noticed how the french botanists have been out of the story... sad.

[bgl]

Bruno,

I'm curious - is Xavier interested in palms, or is his primary interest simply helping the local village, and the discovery of Tahina spectabilis is mainly a vehicle for him to do so (and if that's the case, that's fine obviously!). Is he an IPS member?

Bo-Göran

[bruno]

Bo, , Xavier has not much interest in palms. Although, all that happened around the tahinas have made him conscious of palms and he "now looks at them". He was in Mauritius two weeks ago and he brought back a lipstick palm for me

( I asked him to do so) and he brought one for him also. it will grow superbly where he is, not like in Tana where I have to keep it indoors.

As you remember, his job is creating from scratch a cashew plantation. b

[Kris]

Kris, those seedlings will remain there. Xavier has had about a thousand new seedlings planted all around the 9000 ha of the cashew plantation and villages nearby.

The following pic is one of the seedlings of 2007.

Dear Bruno

really iam very impressed with Xavier's dedication for the local people & for the tahania's propogation..And those new stills are fentastic,the fan palm leaves & fronds looks more close to talipot palms in minature form... And bruno you have timed your tahina stills in very appropriate moment !

those who have missed the oppurtunity of buying seeds of these should be eager to buy them the next harvert in the comming years..And hope the prices of these seeds also comes down ! since most of the die-hard palm collectors have already purschased these in the first batch !

And bruno if you have more stills of these,kindly upload them for the benefit of all the palm lover's globally !

thanks & love,

Kris

[Gbarce]

What common palm approximates the mature size of a Tahina? Is it about the size of a Bismarkia or closer to the size of a Corypha?

Just for us folks who are daydreaming about the time seedlings will be ready to plant in the ground (years from now). For practical reasons you just want to know how much space this baby is going to take up.

[bruno]

Well, Gene, Kris said it: it is a miniature talipot palm, smaller than a corypha.

[Gtlevine]

I've tried an interesting experiment, I placed one of my seedlings out in full sun at my home in Escondido and after two weeks it has not burned. I am going to plant this seedling into the ground and see if it survives through next winter.

Gary

[Jeff Searle]

I just seperated my seedlings yesterday from two comp pots that they were started in. I ended up with 48 seedlings out of 50 seeds. YEA.......!!!!!! Not bad. I put them in a deep pot that I use for Bismarckia seedlings. 4" square at the top, and 14" deep. I will place these out in almost full sun at this size. The reason is, I was up at Dale Holton's nusery a couple of weeks ago and noticed he had one, one leaf seedling that was potted up and out in full sun. And it looked beautiful. ( if only other palm seeds were this easy....) I'll try and get a pic. up soon.

Jeff

[Breadfruit Bill]

How in the heck did you get 48 out of 50?!! I was all excited about 70%ish germ rates...

[Mark@PalmBeach]

How in the heck did you get 48 out of 50?!! I was all excited about 70%ish germ rates...

Yeah I got only 60% germ rate, must be because I am not a perfeshinall like jeff. Oh well I only need 1 or 2 to eventually plant out......

and it is for a good cause.....

[bgl]

Just potted up the last batch of the ones I germinated indoors. Received my seeds in late February. Some, I simply put straight in the germination mix. 90% germination rate on those. Some, I soaked for 2 days before sowing them. 93% germination rate on those. But close enough, so it probably falls within the margin of error. In other words, soaking the seeds or not soaking them is probably irrelevant for Tahina seeds. I also put a number in an open container (with a cinder-soil mix) in our shadehouse. Without soaking the seeds. Those have taken about a month longer to germinate (due to less heat), so don't know yet exactly what the final germination rate will be on those. Possibly less than 90%. Still, very happy with the results!

[Gtlevine]

I have one already putting out a second leaf, it is nice to have a fast growing palm like these Tahina.

Gary

[BS Man about Palms]

I was not aware I had a mouse in my greenhouse, but it seems the only thing it eats is Tahina leaves...

[Gtlevine]

I was not aware I had a mouse in my greenhouse, but it seems the only thing it eats is Tahina leaves...

At least he only ate one leaflet on one leaf then saved the rest. Now that mouse had some class.

Gary