Botany Photo of the Day

Great pictures, another reason for living in Perth, unfortunately I don't!

Although my Beaucarnea is the only one I know of growing outside in Canberra (US Zone 9) and I can confidently plan on buying a larger pot but I doubt it will ever reach the size of this one.

Daniel, re: paintbrushes,

I had an ink-brush painting teacher once whose favorite brush (I kid you not) had a core of badger fur surrounded by a shorter fringe of snow leopard fur (collected non-lethally).

As to the plant: very odd and very cool. I've met a few over the years here in north coastal San Diego County, and I always find something Seussian about them - appropriate, as Ted Geisel was a local. Actually, the photos look like they could have been taken of some local landscaping. I think I'd like Perth.

What is in that bin in the last photo?

would you just look at her
with her hair freshly done
and graceful plumes for
back yard party time

third image there is a big white
planter with a tall growing plant
on what maybe a porch of some kind
some one knows i hope
thank you

Lynne, I would imagine they are seeds. The photos above appear to me (as someone who is not familiar with this species) to be depicting early flowering, fruiting, post-fruiting, and seeds, respectively. Judging by the shape, size, and imagined weight, I would guess the plant is wind-dispersed (utilizes anemochory).

On another note, thank you Conner for that description of the secondary thickening meristem. I've always been puzzled by the fact that adult palms obviously have much larger girth than juveniles despite monocots not having "any" secondary meristem. Maybe then you can explain to me how "walking palms" (genus Socratea) manage to "create" root meristems out of (what seems to be) regular vascular tissues that literally burst through the bark before their descent to the ground. I can see how adventitious roots might form in dicots (many Ficus for example) from vascular cambia, but the monocots still have me puzzled. Any ideas?

1st photo and 3rd photo are the same pony tail, first taken when heads containing flowers just emerging (dec 2007) and 2nd after flowers had all fallen off heads (Feb 2008).

2nd photo is a different pony tail in back yard that has large heads containing seeds only (no flowers). Last photo is box containing seeds I took from heads when I cut heads off. I am not sure of correct terminology when I refer to heads. Each one is about 2-3ft long.

3rd Picture also includes a Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis). At least thats what I think it is and it is in a garden bed away from the house (luckily as didn't really expect it to end up this big).

the email to a friend field at bottom of page seems corrupted; i tried to do just that and my friend received a link having nothing to do with this page but rather to a sketchy webpage called sixapart moveable type. something fishy there.

Hello IH,

I just used it and sent it to a different email address of mine - and it worked as expected, like so:

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daniel.mosquinno@spamubc.ca has sent you a link!

Title: Beaucarnea recurvata
Link: http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2008/03/beaucarnea_recurvata.php

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The last bit about Movable Type and sixapart.com is the weblog software used for Botany Photo of the Day. It's ok that it's there.

Thanks Debbie! And I think when you say "heads", the term you're looking for is "inflorescence" when it has flowers and "infructescence" when it has fruits. But I don't think anybody would misunderstand if you just say heads. (probably more would get confused by the "proper" term in the general public anyways).

I have one planted in 1992 here in the San Francisco bay area that has flowered and is about 9' tall with a base about 4' wide.The more water they get the better they look.I think recurvata is not a desert Beaucarnea species but a wet dry rainforest species.Other Beaucarnea/Nolina species are true tropical desert plants.One,is native to the deserts of SouCal,although not a trunking plant.
How funny to see the same tropicalia in the photos growing here(palms and all) and right now it's 48f outside!

hi i have a few question ifyou can help ive got a ponytail with a base of about 1 metre. what iwould like to know is how i can move it if possible or can i top it to restrict height growth. i dont want to destroy it. but i have to either move it or top it

thanks ron

In the last bin are petals - I know because I have 3 of these plants in my front yard in San Diego, California and they bloomed for the first time this year (I've lived here 12 years). Totally amazing, one does have two stalks, the other two are single stalked. They are in the middle of my lawn, get watered regularly and just keep on going very slowly! The flowers have lasted months now, very, very interesting!

I am from FIJI and have a beaucarnea recurvata growing in front of my house. It was growing in a small pot and eight years ago I planted it in the ground and is now quite big. As you may know Fiji is in the South Pacific and is a tropical island.
I have seen a larger plant than mine.
I am sure both plants were brought in by Expatriates as it is very uncommon in our country.
It have never flowered.
Is there a possibility of obtaining seeds?
From australia or anywhere else.
Thanks and warm regards from FIJI

I have had a Beaucarnia for 32 years. I got it as a housewarming houseplant gift in my first apt in Los Angeles, after college. Toted it around as an indoor plant in a 12" pot for approx 15 years, and then put it in a much larger pot outdoors. Nine years later repotted once more to an even larger pot (at least 24 inches). It didn't really outgrow the first outdoor pot, although there was only about an inch of space between it and the rim. The pot got cracked in a move so I decide to give the palm a treat and some more room. I have followed recommendations, and water it very rarely, usually only in summer months since we get so little rain in southern California. Just got back from a 2 week vacation to discover a weird stalk growing out of the top! It must be my first flowers! Searched on the web and found this site, and I am VERY excited to see what is going to happen to my palm!!!