chamaedorea benziei flowering

[Josue Diaz]

I have this puny chamaedorea benziei that i noticed is about to flower. I didn't realize they would bloom so small. 

 

[Josue Diaz]

[Steve Mac]

Yep, it is flowering all right, funny how those first flower stalks come from root level or below, mine did too.

All of mine have tended to push themselves up out of the ground, and the ground is not hard,

they all now look like I planted them too high and need staking, I have had to mound more soil around them all. 

[Josue Diaz]

11 hours ago, gtsteve said:

Yep, it is flowering all right, funny how those first flower stalks come from root level or below, mine did too.

All of mine have tended to push themselves up out of the ground, and the ground is not hard,

they all now look like I planted them too high and need staking, I have had to mound more soil around them all. 

Huh! You should post pictures of yours.

Also, I've seen pictures of benziei with bright red flower spikes and others with unconspicuous flowers. Any idea why some have the bright red flowers and some don't?

[Palmensammler]

Really nice pictures of an amazing plant. Keep us updated.

I love Chamaedoreas and this one is a must have 

Eckhard

[Steve Mac]

Ok Josue, there you go,

Here are most of mine, they all need staking in the wind, because they rock around on the roots,

Even the one that is trunking.

When they get bigger they don't self clean very well, I'll go and tidy them up now with a box cutter and clippers.

[Josue Diaz]

@gtsteve thanks for the shots!

[nachocarl]

Always thought these looked like a cross between tepejilote and radicalis

[Darold Petty]

Josue, the spadix changes from green to orange after successful pollination "Mostly",

Occasionally the spadix will color with non-viable 'dummies'.

[SHEP]

If you have a male, please save and send some pollen (Patric said you can freeze the pollen).  I'll share the seeds.  I planted a buddy for me, but, too soon to know if its a male.  I'll post a pic, when, it stops raining up here.  Cecile

[Josue Diaz]

6 hours ago, SHEP said:

If you have a male, please save and send some pollen (Patric said you can freeze the pollen).  I'll share the seeds.  I planted a buddy for me, but, too soon to know if its a male.  I'll post a pic, when, it stops raining up here.  Cecile

I can definitely do that. I'll post updates here when the when the spathe matures 

[Darold Petty]

Hello to all, let us get current on the nomenclature.  Chamaedorea benziei is properly C. carchensis. 

http://www.palmpedia.net/palmsforcal/Chamaedorea_carchensis

Shep, I have some 'six-packs' of seedlings, offspring from my grove of adult plants,... I am somewhat surprised how thin and weak the seedlings are initially after germination,  compared to the robust nature of the mature plants.   

[Josue Diaz]

25 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Hello to all, let us get current on the nomenclature.  Chamaedorea benziei is properly C. carchensis. 

http://www.palmpedia.net/palmsforcal/Chamaedorea_carchensis

Shep, I have some 'six-packs' of seedlings, offspring from my grove of adult plants,... I am somewhat surprised how thin and weak the seedlings are initially after germination,  compared to the robust nature of the mature plants.   

Good to know!

[nachocarl]

The palms look so much better in the ground on Palmpedia than what I have in a pot.  I have had this species for about 10 years now, in the same pot and it likely has too much salt build up because the leaflets aways brown tip and I have never changed the soil.  After seeing the pics on Palmpedia at Lotusland I think it's time to put it in the ground, cool looking Chamaedorea carchensis.