I just noticed this on my juvenile leaf form Chamaerops. It's been a male up until this year, but appears to have gone hermaphroditic on me. Also my Chamaerops var. argentea went through a complete sex change from male to female. Is this common in Chamaerops or am I seeing things?

The whole enchilada

Closer

Closer

Matt,

I have 3 species that have the same trait as your Chamaerops, a mutant Chamaerops, Tracheycarpus wagnerianus and Rhapidophyllum hystrix. Even stranger, the specimen Chamaerops growing by my pool has 8 trunks, 7 being female and one trunk is a male. I'm positive all the trunks belong to the same plant.That's an excellent photograph showing the fruit forming mixed with the male flowers.

I guess it's not to unusual for Rhapidophyllum to have both sexes. I have one that some years has all male flowers and other years both sexes and it produces viable seeds. I was told once by Dr. Natalie Uhl that the botanical description for this phenomena, in what is normally a dioecious plant, is called polygamo-dioecious.

Dick

It takes after it's father.

It takes after it's father.

Dean,

How about monitoring your nephew, and tell him to shave that ugly beard too!

Dick

Matt,

I have 3 species that have the same trait as your Chamaerops, a mutant Chamaerops, Tracheycarpus wagnerianus and Rhapidophyllum hystrix. Even stranger, the specimen Chamaerops growing by my pool has 8 trunks, 7 being female and one trunk is a male. I'm positive all the trunks belong to the same plant.That's an excellent photograph showing the fruit forming mixed with the male flowers.

I guess it's not to unusual for Rhapidophyllum to have both sexes. I have one that some years has all male flowers and other years both sexes and it produces viable seeds. I was told once by Dr. Natalie Uhl that the botanical description for this phenomena, in what is normally a dioecious plant, is called polygamo-dioecious.

Dick

Hi Dick,

Thank you for the insight, it's pretty interesting that some can transform between sexes, naturally. Does the Trachycarupus set seed?

Matt

It takes after it's father.

It takes after it's father.

Dean,

How about monitoring your nephew, and tell him to shave that ugly beard too!

Dick

Sorry Dick. I was just giving Matt a nudge. He knows I was just light hearted joking with him. You don't need to call for the moderators, you can always talk to me, I'm pretty easy to get along with. By the way, you and my wife agree about the beard, that's for sure. I hope you have a good rest of the day.

It takes after it's father.

Matt,

I was just being sarcastic too. I think we all have pretty thick skin in here, or at least I do.

Dick

Dang Dick! You got me! I totally thought you were offended and I didn't want to disrespect you. Ok dude, nice snark form, nice. It's like that Police Academy movie where the father and son show their affection for each other by exchanging punches to the face. So, what I'm trying to say is, "I love you man".

Pretty cool Matt! Ive hear Dick talk about this before but never seen it, these pictures illustrate it nicely. My chamaerops is a male 3 years in a row now, nothing changing.

Rhapidophyllum hystrix is crazy too. And Trachycarpus. Didnt both of these genus used to be under Chamaerops?

Interestingly all three of this genera are listed under the subtribe of Thrinacinae. are any other genera in this subtribe known to be multi sexed?