Cycad regeneration from a tap root

[N8ALLRIGHT]

I have a heeler pup who likes to chew.  So he hammered a small Cycas panzhiuensis. Literally separated the caudex from the fronds and roots. I'm positive that the caudex will regenerate, it's roughly the size of a large orange. My question is will a taproot regenerate into a plant or is it a waste of time. Here's the perpetrator with a filibusta he had an issue with.

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, N8ALLRIGHT said:

I have a heeler pup who likes to chew.  So he hammered a small Cycas panzhiuensis. Literally separated the caudex from the fronds and roots.

Keep an eye on him, as Cycads are toxic for pets.  My Rottweiler pup took a liking to a potted Zamia furfuracea over 20 years ago, uprooting it and I found the caudex with tap root on the back lawn,  The caudex was about softball size, so she probably thought it was a ball.  She survived without any incident but never chewed on any of my other cycads before or after that.  I have two other dogs that have lived with cycads their entire lives with no problems as well, but some dogs end up dead for poor dietary choices with cycads.

[N8ALLRIGHT]

This incident happened last weekend so I'm pretty sure he's good. I'd kept an eye on him those 1st couple days.  My guess is he just chewed it up and didn't eat much/any. He's a Velociraptor,destroys everything but sharp as a tack. We'll get there just have to get through another year of him being a pup.  @Tracy do you think a new cycad could grow from the taproot? it's about 4 to 5 inches long and carrot shaped.

Thanks 

[Tracy]

11 hours ago, N8ALLRIGHT said:

  @Tracy do you think a new cycad could grow from the taproot? it's about 4 to 5 inches long and carrot shaped.

I don't know.  You can try and see what happens.  The closest comparison I can provide was a small 1 1/2" caudex Encephalartos nubimontanus that was run over by a dog a few years ago.  The leaves were completely ripped off and the caudex was partially damaged.  I removed what was torn off and didn't dig up the remainder of the completely subterranean caudex or tap root though.  I forgot about it over time but a couple of weeks ago I found that it was flushing 3 new leaves after remaining dormant all this time. So we can be pleasantly surprised once in a while.

[PalmsandLiszt]

I don't think the taproot will contain the meristematic cells capable of growing into anything other than more roots. However, it's possible that some of the caudex tissue might still remain at the top, in which case it could theoretically regenerate. I'd be interested to know if you succeed.

[happypalms]

Stangeria eriopsis will grow from a piece of root this is a piece I did about 7 months ago it’s the only cycas species that I know off that will grow from root division 

[N8ALLRIGHT]

Well seems like the consensus is to try it and see what happens. I potted it several days ago in a fast draining mix. I'll wait and see, I'll try to remember to report back with results although that may be a year or more 

[N8ALLRIGHT]

Caudex is starting a flush, the long game is on the root

[N8ALLRIGHT]

Well I gave it a year. I hadn't seen any growth above the soil line so I decided to see if anything was going on in the dirt. Fished around a little bit and this was all that was left. Mushy and maybe a third of what I initially planted .  

[JohnAndSancho]

Sorry about your loss, but I'm glad the doggo is ok. I'm fortunate that the only interest Sancho has ever shown in my palms is laying under them, or when I use the "organic palm food" (pelletized chicken poop) he found that to be absolutely delicious. These feral cats at my mom's on the.other hand.... They want to destroy everything. I bought some lavender after reading they hate it. And they hate cayenne pepper. 

[N8ALLRIGHT]

Cayenne works great.  Augie ( the dog) really liked digging up my Musa basjoo clumps. He stopped after I dumped a couple of bottles in the bed. 

[JohnAndSancho]

7 hours ago, N8ALLRIGHT said:

Cayenne works great.  Augie ( the dog) really liked digging up my Musa basjoo clumps. He stopped after I dumped a couple of bottles in the bed. 

It was working for me on the patio until someone thought it was red dirt and rinsed it all off 😂 I bought some little lavender plants and seed packets to throw in my bed. I watched a YouTube video and this lady like put her seeds in the fridge for a month and then put them on heat mats and did all this crazy stuff. I'm not doing all that for 99 cent seed packets. They're going in dirt and getting mulched over and whatever happens happens. 

Anyway give Augie some scratches.