Chamaedorea tuerckheimii aka the Potato Chip Palm

[Cindy Adair]

I expect it has that name because of the corrugated leaf texture like the Ruffles brand of potato chips, but maybe also because you can't stop at just one.

If you want to have a chance of progeny you'll get three like I did (since they are dioecious) when you can find them at a reasonable price.

These are in shade and were planted as seedlings several years ago. I have a video I'll post soon that shows the surroundings that seem to suit these beauties and other shade lovers. We have never watered or fertilized these so can't take credit for them. We are just lucky to find a spot that they like.

[John Case]

I do not want to burst your bubble, but the chance of having at least 1 male or female is only a 50/50 proposal.

You will have the following possibilities

3 males

3 females

2 male and 1 female

1 male and 2 females

each of these possibilities is a 25% chance, hence 2 out of 4 possibilities.

The good news? You get to but some more of these fabulous plants! I can't even get one to grow. I would suggest getting at least 2 more, but I think there must be a reason that there are 9 players on a baseball team.....

Good luck!

JC

[KennyRE317]

I'm starting to like Chamaedorea sp more and more as I see more pictures, also great as understory fillers. I've already decided that I'll plant up to 6 in small groves since solitary ones look much better in groups imo

[Matt in SD]

Pretty sure you chances of getting at least one male and one female are actually 75%. There is only one way to get 3 males and one way to get 3 females, but three ways to get 2 male x 1 female and 3 ways to get 2 male x 1 female. So 6 of 8 combinations have at least one male and one female.

Matt

[MattyB]

What are you, some sort of number scientist?

[_Keith]

What are you, some sort of number scientist?

Obviously not.

[Cindy Adair]

I like math in general, but statistics was always my least favorite subject. I had to take a short course in 1979 and since then I've let others do probabilities.

Regardless, I know the more the better, but with limited $, space and time to plant, 3 of dioecious spp. is all I can do for now.

If someone could come up with a practical way to test a small sample of tissue on seedlings to determine the sex of future flowers it would be great. There are many non palms that that have separate male and female trees (dioecious) so this would be quite useful beyond the palm world.

Some grad student out there who needs a project? I almost went into genetics research so if I were younger I'd give it a try.

[Jeff Searle]

I come up with 42.7%. Don't ask, it's an old family remedy.

[Gonzer]

I do not want to burst your bubble, but the chance of having at least 1 male or female is only a 50/50 proposal.

You will have the following possibilities

3 males

3 females

2 male and 1 female

1 male and 2 females

each of these possibilities is a 25% chance, hence 2 out of 4 possibilities.

The good news? You get to but some more of these fabulous plants! I can't even get one to grow. I would suggest getting at least 2 more, but I think there must be a reason that there are 9 players on a baseball team.....

Good luck!

JC

That's easy, there're only 9 positions.

[Central Floridave]

That is a very pretty palm. I've only seen it for sale once and the price was way out of my range.

[palmislandRandy]

Pretty sure you chances of getting at least one male and one female are actually 75%. There is only one way to get 3 males and one way to get 3 females, but three ways to get 2 male x 1 female and 3 ways to get 2 male x 1 female. So 6 of 8 combinations have at least one male and one female.

Matt

I have 2, so what are my odds? 25%, 10%, 2.3%

I need a few more

Those are beautiful Cindy. I love these mini's. You always have room for these!

[Funkthulhu]

Pretty sure you chances of getting at least one male and one female are actually 75%. There is only one way to get 3 males and one way to get 3 females, but three ways to get 2 male x 1 female and 3 ways to get 2 male x 1 female. So 6 of 8 combinations have at least one male and one female.

Matt

Matt is right:

MMM MMF MFM FMM MFF FFM FMF FFF

6 out of 8 produce a mix, or 75%

I have 2, so what are my odds? 25%, 10%, 2.3%

Matt

I need a few more

Those are beautiful Cindy. I love these mini's. You always have room for these!

MM MF FM FF

50%

Edited October 22, 2013 by Funkthulhu

[LilikoiLee]

I expect it has that name because of the corrugated leaf texture like the Ruffles brand of potato chips, but maybe also because you can't stop at just one.

If you want to have a chance of progeny you'll get three like I did (since they are dioecious) when you can find them at a reasonable price.

These are in shade and were planted as seedlings several years ago. I have a video I'll post soon that shows the surroundings that seem to suit these beauties and other shade lovers. We have never watered or fertilized these so can't take credit for them. We are just lucky to find a spot that they like.

Aloha Cindy,

Loved the pics of your tuerckheimii I purchased four a coouple of years ago and yours look better. Ours are also in shade. I do water them and have fertilized them once. Perhaps they like your climate better - or maybe you just have a greener thumb.

I LOVE dwarf palms. If you have not seen Licuala triphylla (aka filiformis) you should check them out. When I bought mine they were consided separate species. The first having 3 leaf segments, the other 5. Apparently they are now considered to be one species.

We also have 3 L. mattaennsis ('mapu'). Another one to check out if you have not seen them - gorgeous yellow variegation against a dark, bluish green. Mine were a birthday present last year. He also takes are of them because I killed the one I bought several years ago.

Lee

[LilikoiLee]

I'm starting to like Chamaedorea sp more and more as I see more pictures, also great as understory fillers. I've already decided that I'll plant up to 6 in small groves since solitary ones look much better in groups imo

Kenny,

So glad to hear that you are getting into Chamaedorea. A lot of people look down their noses at them. I started liking them early in my palm collecting days. Although there are some species that are too gangly for my taste I love the small ones. I'll post a few pictures this weekend. I'll be interest to see if you like the same species that I do.

Lee

[fan palm]

Lee, those look awesome planted amongst the rocks, also a very good photo!

Cheers

Harry

[LilikoiLee]

Lee, those look awesome planted amongst the rocks, also a very good photo!

Cheers

Harry

Thank you, Harry. We're short of soil here on the Big Island, but we do have LOTS of rocks. The tuerckheimii are such tiny plants that I put them right next to a trail so they could be seen easily.

Then I was worried that someone might accidentally step on one. The rocks seemed like a goood way to keep that from happening. Seems to be working.

Lee

[Mandrew968]

I have a male and a female--they are easy palms for me but I hear getting seed to set is a lot less than easy...

[Cindy Adair]

Lee, yours look perfect!

I do have L. triphylla but it's still tiny.

As to mapu, I'm still having trouble remembering its new name which is Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta as I learned on Palmtalk. Maybe the more I type it the better I'll learn. Anyway you might enjoy a few photos in this thread from April: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/36553-licuala-mattanensis-mapu/

I like these Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta so much that I imported some from Malaysia. So no one worries, I did it totally legally with a nursery who got permits on their end. With much help from Palmtalk I got all the legal papers here and then after another inspection they eventually all made it into the ground in Puerto Rico.

I gave 2 away to the former owner of our farm and the rest all survived from August until October at least. I grow them in exactly the same conditions as C. tuerckheimii.

Hover for the (old) names on each photo. I'm glad Licualas are monoecious as I only have one of most of these.

Who's trying Chamaedorea amabilis or C. sullivaniorum? Yes, expensive, but really attractive palms. I have 3 of the former and 2 of the later and so far so good. I planted the third C. sullivaniorum on too much of a slope and it had disappeared when I looked for it 4 months after planting.

[Jonas]

That is a belleza... This palm is endemic to where...? I absolutely love the Chamaedorea species... So small and vulnerable...

[John Case]

Pretty sure you chances of getting at least one male and one female are actually 75%. There is only one way to get 3 males and one way to get 3 females, but three ways to get 2 male x 1 female and 3 ways to get 2 male x 1 female. So 6 of 8 combinations have at least one male and one female.

Matt

Matt is right:

MMM MMF MFM FMM MFF FFM FMF FFF

6 out of 8 produce a mix, or 75%

I have 2, so what are my odds? 25%, 10%, 2.3%

Matt

I need a few more

Those are beautiful Cindy. I love these mini's. You always have room for these!

MM MF FM FF

50%

Your analysis applies when you are tossing coins, but does not work when the results are already predetermined. There are a discrete number of palms that the sex of which is already set......I stand by my analysis....he should obtain many many many Potato Chip Palms.

[palmislandRandy]

I'll definitely get a few more to insure a pair. I agree with John. The odds formula of a male & female only work if all tuerckheimii offspring were exactly 50%/50% males & females, which probably isn't likely.

[Funkthulhu]

I'll definitely get a few more to insure a pair. I agree with John. The odds formula of a male & female only work if all tuerckheimii offspring were exactly 50%/50% males & females, which probably isn't likely.

Well, fine, the split on the male/female ratio may not be 50/50, could be 65/35 or worse, but you'd have to carry that through each possible combination of male and female plants. There are still 8 possible combinations between 3 plants. You'd have to apply the skewed ratio to each possible outcome, but the results are still going to be different than if you only had 4 outcomes. You have to account for the possible sex of each plant, not the possible combinations of the group.

[DoomsDave]

Just buy and plant some more! Sooner or later you'll get dio-osity. (Sounds like a Black Sabbath or Rainbow album . . )

[LilikoiLee]

Lee, yours look perfect!

I do have L. triphylla but it's still tiny.

As to mapu, I'm still having trouble remembering its new name which is Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta as I learned on Palmtalk. Maybe the more I type it the better I'll learn. Anyway you might enjoy a few photos in this thread from April: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/36553-licuala-mattanensis-mapu/

I like these Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta so much that I imported some from Malaysia. So no one worries, I did it totally legally with a nursery who got permits on their end. With much help from Palmtalk I got all the legal papers here and then after another inspection they eventually all made it into the ground in Puerto Rico.

I gave 2 away to the former owner of our farm and the rest all survived from August until October at least. I grow them in exactly the same conditions as C. tuerckheimii.

Hover for the (old) names on each photo. I'm glad Licualas are monoecious as I only have one of most of these.

Who's trying Chamaedorea amabilis or C. sullivaniorum? Yes, expensive, but really attractive palms. I have 3 of the former and 2 of the later and so far so good. I planted the third C. sullivaniorum on too much of a slope and it had disappeared when I looked for it 4 months after planting.

Lee, yours look perfect!

I do have L. triphylla but it's still tiny.

As to mapu, I'm still having trouble remembering its new name which is Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta as I learned on Palmtalk. Maybe the more I type it the better I'll learn. Anyway you might enjoy a few photos in this thread from April: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/36553-licuala-mattanensis-mapu/

I like these Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta so much that I imported some from Malaysia. So no one worries, I did it totally legally with a nursery who got permits on their end. With much help from Palmtalk I got all the legal papers here and then after another inspection they eventually all made it into the ground in Puerto Rico.

I gave 2 away to the former owner of our farm and the rest all survived from August until October at least. I grow them in exactly the same conditions as C. tuerckheimii.

Hover for the (old) names on each photo. I'm glad Licualas are monoecious as I only have one of most of these.

Who's trying Chamaedorea amabilis or C. sullivaniorum? Yes, expensive, but really attractive palms. I have 3 of the former and 2 of the later and so far so good. I planted the third C. sullivaniorum on too much of a slope and it had disappeared when I looked for it 4 months after planting.

I have some 4" sulliaviorum. They're still in pots and growing v e r y s l o w y. I assume yours are in the ground, curious if yours are growing at a faster paste. Please post some pictures next time you're in PR.

Also would you mind sending me the contact information for the nursery you got your Lucuala from. I think their is a rule about posting the name of nurseries that are not members of PT so you should sent it via PM.

Thank you in advance.

Glad they are monecious - it will save a lot of people from doing math. (lol).

Lee

[Cindy Adair]

This isn't a current photo of my C. sullivaniorums, but one from August. As I recall they each had another leaf and looked good earlier this month.

As to the Licuala mattanensis variety paucisecta (see, I'm trying to use the new name but it's hard , they were from a grower I posted in the correct location on this forum. So I see nothing wrong in referring you to that Palmtalk link publically: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/36753-malesiana-tropicals/#entry574591

I went to all the trouble because I wanted plants I couldn't then find anywhere else and the mapus (oops) were on sale.