Rhapis cochinchinensis (< laosensis) Dimorphism ♂♀

The habit of female and male inflorescence shows a distinct dimorphism. The first signs of the prophyll I noticed on 2016-05-18 for the female and one month later on 2016-06-16 for the male inflorescence.

The present stage looks like this:
01 The different stages of male and female inflorescence today.
02 The two palms: taller male plant and clustering (3 stems) female.

The flowering history:
03 Prophyll
04-06 Development male vs female, different colours, number of flowers, and habits

The habits:
07 Male inflorescence curving > drooping, lots of flowers
08 Female inflorescence, erect, much smaller
09 Tiny green female flowers »globose to 3.4 × 2.8 mm«

Outstanding work Jens, neat as a pin, Ed

1 hour ago, edric said:

Outstanding work Jens, neat as a pin, Ed

Thank you, Ed. — Here another update, male inflorescence breaking out, female flowers unchanged:

Male inflorescence curving down more and more, female inflorescence getting even more green:

Hastings 2003, p. 71: »Inflorescence, the male and female similar in general appearance, …«

The male inflorescence gets bigger and bigger, and the female flowers are opening a little more:

The contrast and different habit between male vs female inflorescence getting bigger from day to day:

Another update:

The male inflorescence is getting bigger an bigger, but the flowers are not yet yellow, and nothing happened so far … 

Once more detail of female inflorescence, flowers now more opened:

Detail of male inflorescence, flowers not yet yellow:

Staminate flowers producing today their first pollen:

Detail of mature staminate flowers (after all not getting more yellowish?):

Nice Pal! Let's see some fruit production now!!!!

49 minutes ago, Kostas said:

Nice Pal! Let's see some fruit production now!!!!

Then the flowers must produce much more pollen than today. And I hope that the pistillate flowers are still intact. — The same staminate inflorescence taken with flash:

Another update with close-up of staminate inflorescence, but I couldn’t get (enough) pollen yet:

Already game over?

nice photos

Is this a baby ???  (Or only hollow …)

Solitary male and suckering female, another kind of dimorphism:

On 9.8.2016, 15:18:17, Kostas said:

Nice Pal! Let's see some fruit production now!!!!

Here you are, the only one …

Pal, I hate being so restrained, but please save your enthousiasm for the end of fall... I speak from own experience. They are really very difficult to be pollinated effectively in our climate. One professional grower in Oz suggested that we pour male flowers in water, stir water, put solution through a sieve and spray with it female flowers.

Edited September 1, 20169 yr by Phoenikakias

15 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Pal, I hate being so restrained, but please save your enthousiasm for the end of fall... I speak from own experience. They are really very difficult to be pollinated effectively in our climate. One professional grower in Oz suggested that we pour male flowers in water, stir water, put solution through a sieve and spray with it female flowers.

It’s a triple fruit , even if hollow …

The female flowers (with their tiny »fruits«) all have dropped or dried …

But the solitary male tree has not only staminate but also hermaphroditic flowers:

 

Fruiting?

Fruiting?

Lots of fruits (and coming babies)? Or will they be all only hollow?

Very uncertain...