Multi-headed S.romanzoffiana

ScotTi

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16/04/08
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This is a picture of my 12 headed S.rom. I now hope it never flowers again.
 

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A close look from the front side showing 2 of the 12 heads.
 

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Pictures taken from second story window. The last two pictures are out of focus but I posted them.
 

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I had a customer with a double headed Syagrus romanzofiana. She isn't into palms and she had it cut down. I normally would have been happy to see a queen get chopped down, but this one was cool. Your palm is off the charts. I am trying a couple of "techniques" to induce multi headed Adonidia. The seed is everywhere. I have a dozen or more three gallon Adonidia that will go through various tortures to see if there is a less than lethal way to get results.
 
I remember an article somewhere on a technique used to induce multi heads in Phoenix roebelenii. There are several around SoCal with up to a dozen heads.

I think it had something to do with actually cutting into the growth point with a razor blade, but I don't remember it that well.
 
I think I read something recently in the Palm journal about how members of the 2,4,D acid group of herbicides were causing multiheaded growth in roebelenii and others. The chemical also caused leaning crown syndrome (not good). If I net any reliable results I will share them with the group. I have a lot of test palms to work with. When I get a new digital camera in the next couple of weeks I will post some pics of local multi's and other freaks of nature.
 
Update 12/2008 after its cleaning of dead leaves.
 

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Here is a picture of one growing in St. Pete @ Kopsick
 

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Thanks Scott,

I Photoshopped your pic a little to remove some of the shadows and see more detail. I've never seen one of those in person.

BTW --- I noticed the pic was named "picresized." In most cases, the forum software may do the resizing for you. At least it's worth a try to upload your pic first, in order to save you some time. You may not need to resize first. Thanks for the pics.
 

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Now that you mention hurricanes. We were hit in '04 by twin storms within two weeks of each other. The first was a lingering cat. 2 and the second was a strong cat. 3. Both landed seventy miles south of this site. About thirty miles south of me. We were in the right front quad. of the storm which is a bad place to be. I think the big stone ediface might have saved the poor thing.
 
Just want to update on my multi-head S rom. Yesterday morning 5 of the heads (1 lg clump) came crashing to earth. What is really strange is the clump had a few roots coming out of the clump. And yes I planted it for kicks.
 

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Dean, No wind, and I see no rot so I think it was weight alone. I cant imagine a successful planting, but I have seen strange things in nature. Scott
 
Here is the clump potted up and now I wait to see if rooting is possible.
 

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Scott keep us updated! I think it has a good chance with the nice summer weather Dean mentions.

it needs a cool name if it survives
 
Scott keep us updated! I think it has a good chance with the nice summer weather Dean mentions.

it needs a cool name if it survives

Luke, IF it survives you can have it if you like. No more S.roms for me. You can then give it a cool name.
 
A month has now passed and this thing still looks good... not even a yellow leaf. I am so tempted to pull it out of the pot to see what is going on with those roots.
 

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Scott, looking good! Its probably putting down roots, no yellow leaves is a good sign its sustaining the crown it has now. If it lives, I would gladly 'take in' this mutant :)
 
Two months have now passed and it still looks good, no signs of roots out of the pot.
 

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wow... Scott even your mutant looks like it on steroids with good growth!

looks great to me
 
wow... Scott even your mutant looks like it on steroids with good growth!

looks great to me

I am still amazed that 10 weeks have passed and it has not even browned a leaf. I wish I knew what was going on with the roots. Time will tell the full outcome. As I still do not believe it and I am seeing it with my own eyes.
 
I am still amazed that 10 weeks have passed and it has not even browned a leaf. I wish I knew what was going on with the roots. Time will tell the full outcome. As I still do not believe it and I am seeing it with my own eyes.

Hmm.

It';s up to you, of course, but I'd pull it out of the pot and sneak a peek. For science of course . . . .
 
Hmm.

It';s up to you, of course, but I'd pull it out of the pot and sneak a peek. For science of course . . . .

Dave, I have thought about it. I went out today and I see a nice root coming out of the hole in the bottom of the pot. Amazing!
 
Here is a shot of the root now emerging out the bottom of the pot.
 

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Scott-

Same thing happened to a multi headed Syagrus in my neighborhood - the whole mess came crashing down and the owner had the whole thing removed, Somewhere I may have a pic of it.... A nice double headed Syagrus is also in St. Pete along 1st Ave N or S or Central - can't recall which one and exactly where. Also have a circa 1920 picture postcard showing double headed Sabal(mis-identified as a double Royal but PPc publishers were none too accurate with descriptions)
 
Took this picture this morning. From the ground I can count 10 nice heads plus lots of scrappy growth.
 

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I recall reading somewhere about intentionally doing this to P. roebelenii. There was a technique explained how to cut down and do something to the apical meristem that resulted in this splitting. It was the physical "damage" that produced the effect. I have seen P roebelenii with as many as a dozen heads.
 
Now that 4 months have passed I want to give a update on the multi heads that crashed to the ground. Growth is now resuming and a few more roots are emerging from the pot. I expected some fronds to have yellowed and browned in the last 4 months, but that has not happened. With the sun shifting now I am going to relocate the pot to full day sun.
 

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Scott,

Thanks for the update. What will be interesting to see is if it will develop any more suckers. I am assuming that the "splits" have already occured, and that it will not. But if it did, that would be a real curiousity - a truly suckering Queen. I don't believe I have ever heard of one.
 
Dean, When I potted it I saw 5 growing heads.(2 large, 1 med size and 2 small). Now it has added 5 more small, giving it 10 growing heads. The mother tree continues to add growing points to the top. I expect another clump to fall when we get some wind. Scott
 
I thought most multi-headed palms (previously thought of as solitary) resulted from physical injury to the apical meristem at an almost microscopic level. It doesn't sound like that is what is happening here.
 
Dean, When the clump fell ( see post 13) notice the big wood knot that the growing heads were attached on. I think that the knot had hidden growing heads still waiting to emerge. The mother palm is still pushing new heads after 6 years. My thinking is that as the new growth emerges it is pushing off the older growth for space. I can see from the ground the older growth being pushed out of the top center towards the sides. The mother palm should be removed as it will never look nice again. I have been thinking of having it cut down, stump grounded, top removed and replanted in the ground in the same spot. I would not due this until next summer if I go this course.
 
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