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The Corroboree

druid

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About druid

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    botany, chemistry, gardening, anthropology
  1. Has anyone ever seen this strange "breech" birth behavior of an acacia seed? DRUID
  2. druid

    banisteria/heteropterys chrysophylla ?

    Here is a taxonomical list of some important genera: Taxonomy. Subclass Dicotyledonae; Crassinucelli. Dahlgren’s Superorder Rutiflorae; Polygalales. Cronquist’s Subclass Rosidae; Polygalales. APG (1998) Eudicot; core Eudicot; Rosid; Eurosid I; Malpighiales. Species 1100. Genera about 65; Acmanthera, Acridocarpus, Aspicarpa, Aspidopterys, Banisteriopsis, Barnebya, Blepharandra, Brachylophon, Bunchosia, Burdachia, Byrsonima, Callaeum, Calyptostylis, Camarea, Caucanthus, Clonodia, Coleostachys, Cordobia, Diacidia, Dicella, Digoniopterys, Dinemagonum, Dinemandra, Diplopterys, Echinopterys, Ectopopterys, Flabellaria, Gallardoa, Galphimia, Gaudichaudia, Glandonia, Heladena, Henleophytum, Heteropterys, Hiptage, Hiraea, Janusia, Jubelina, Lasiocarpus, Lophanthera, Lophopterys, Malpighia, Mascagnia, Mcvaughia, Mezia, Microsteira, Mionandra, Peixotoa, Peregrina, Philgamia, Pterandra, Ptilochaeta, Rhynchophora, Rhyssopteris, Spachea, Sphedamnocarpus, Stigmaphyllon, Tetrapteris, Thryallis, Triaspis, Tricomaria, Triopteris, Tristellateia, Verrucularia.
  3. Hello, all! I have an acacia seed that nicely greened up and even started to open her pea-lips within 2 days of scarification, but the problem is that she hasn't sent out a radical! Now it's been 2 weeks and the pea continues to develop, but with no signs of a radical. I've never had an acacia or any other mimosid (mis)behave this way. Usually, in my experience with dozens of anandenanthera, mimosas, and acacias, the radical forms and grows BEFORE the pea greens up and starts to develop into false leaves. Do I give up on this seed? It's been two weeks with no sign that she wants to make a root. Perhaps in the future I shouldn't take her seedcoat off so that she won't develop prematurely? DRUID [ 04. July 2004, 10:25: Message edited by: druid ]
  4. Thank you for your suggestions! What are the signs of phosphorus poisoning so that i can recognize it? I will not apply any more standard fertilizer now that I know this. Great warning! Thank you! DRUID
  5. Dear Australian Garden Gurus, By some miracle, I finally got a bumper crop of acacia obtusifolias to survive past the notoriously difficult "early seedling stage", where the death rate is staggering, apparently from damping-off fungus. Now I need to figure out the rock dust issue. I called my nursery and they have two rock-derived products: 1) "chipped shale" 2) "rock dust phosphate", NPK 0:4:0 Does anyone have idea whether either, none, or both of these products would satisfy the finicky demands for rock minerals that the acacias crave? I was told they prefer "rock dust" or "granite chips" by a little birdie. I know they don't like too much nitrogen, but what are the general acacia requirements for phosphate and potassium (P&K)? Any takers?? DRUID [ 31. October 2003, 08:37: Message edited by: druid ]
  6. druid

    Acacia Germination

    Obtusifolia germination times: I took a nailfile and aggressively filed off enough of the hard seedcoat on one side so that I could reveal a little of the flesh beneath. Then I soaked in hot water for 1 hour. I germinated them between several layers of cosmetic facial tissue (hypoallergenic, of course!) in a ziplock plastic bag at close to 100% humidity by misting the facial tissue. As soon as the radical's nipple or pimple appears (4-5 days), I opened the plastic bag wide open to lower the humidity to levels that the seedling would eventually be able to deal with. They will die afterwards if germinated at 100% for the entire process, in my experiments. When the radicals were over an inch long or longer (another 4 days), they were planted in coco-peat cut with perlite (50%-50%) so as not to retain too much water, which they hate. They like to remain moist, but not wet. Also, they seedlings seem to like a little fan blowing lightly over them, and respond best (for me) to 24/7 fluorescents for the first 3-6 months, or until they start to develop the elongated phyllode spears, which eventually replace the pinnate frondlings. Add a little rhizobia bacteria from local acacias. I had none, but am using cowpea inoculant instead. Good luck, and thanks to all of you out there who helped me with my germination project! It took a few tries, many acacia casualties, but the above method has yielded 100% germination and 100% survival of every single seed from Torsten. Cheers, all! Go and grow 'em! DRUIDDREAM [ 30. October 2003, 01:52: Message edited by: druid ]
  7. druid

    Ginger for potentiation and nausea

    Felix, I know nothing about cacti, but I do have personal experience with ginger's potentiating effects. I discovered it totally by accident when a friend sent me some candied ginger, which I tried with black tea, coffee, clavohuasca, and kava. The potentiation becomes readily apparent. DRUID
  8. druid

    A. colubrina tips and m. scabrellas

    Dear Planthelper, The colubrina keysearch wasn't very useful. That was all about germination. But that's not my issue. I was looking for some care instructions from the experience of those who have made it through the difficult stages, to know how to take care of seedlings, what ph soil, soil composition, light, range of humidity they can tolerate, temperatures in their native environment, etc. Many thanks Dazedsole for understanding my question and getting right to the heart of the matter. If anyone else has input from experience about care for the anan's, that would be great. I haven't heard back from anyone regarding the Jurema branca (m. scabrellas). If anyone has any suggestions for along the same lines for these, especially if you know that they *differ* from anans in some crucial way, that would also be very important to know. Fresh anan's aren't a problem to germinate! Mine germinated in the first 12 hours in plain old zip-lock plastic bags with moistened hypoallergenic tissue paper and fungicide, but with no special equipment, heating or anything. In fact, I set them in there at 12midnight and they germinated fully IN THE DARK!!!! I did blow the bags up with Co2 from my breath, however, if that makes a difference. It might have! The question is really care and environment. Sorry if that was unclear. DRUID
  9. Dear friends from Oz, Does anyone have any recommendations for the proper/optimal soil ph for my new baby obtusifolias? What do they *really, really* love? Thanks in advance for any advice you might be able to offer! DRUID [ 17. August 2003, 00:29: Message edited by: druid ]
  10. druid

    Acacia seedling (plantlets)

    Thanks, Creach! It's true! It's true! The single "tongue" coming out actually started getting a little frilly or shredded this morning, so I took a magnifying glass only to find that they were SEPARATING INTO SEPARATE LEAVES!! FRONDS ALIVE!
  11. Does anyone out there have any good tips for A. colubrina and m. scabrella? Do these do well with nitrogen-fixing cowpea inoculant? What kind of lighting conditions and soil do they require? Humidity? Anyone who can speak from experience would be very much appreciated! DRUID
  12. druid

    Acacia seedling (plantlets)

    Thanks for all the responses, all. I started over with new seeds and germinated at ambient humidity. NOTES FROM AN EXTRA-AUSTRALIAN TERRESTRIAL SOME NOTES, for those who might be interested in observing and getting a real good laugh from an extra-Australian terrestrial who didn't understand the lay of your land. Silly extra-australian thought you were a tropical people! 1. The new A. obtusifolia's. Strangely, this new generation *doesn't* have a frond. Just two base "leaves" (where the peas lips separated), and just *ONE* leaf coming out from there. The one that died from my improper handling of humidity at this *critical* stage (didn't know how critical!) had put out an entire frond with 4 leaf pairs. What is the normal expectation for these plants? 2. A. confusa. Love this one! Compare the anguishing demise of the obtusifolia to the resounding *SUCCESS* of the Taiwanese acacia confusa. Germinated *with* the obtuse in the same conditions that caused the obtuse to die, except the confusas are living it up! Have two really fascinating little ones (I get the sense that they're girls) that intrigue me no end. Just a feminine spirit, and a certain degree of coquettish shyness. *One* of the confusas has a frond, and the other one has just the single leaf coming out. HMMMM.... The one with the frond-like structure demonstrates mimosa-like behavior. She literally folds up her leaves straight up when she wants to sleep at night, and in the morning she lowers them and fans them out at about 45 degree angle. She does this like clockwork. What amazes me that she knows that it's time to go to bed even when the lights are on. She just folds herself up VERTICALLY like flagpole! Does anyone have any comments on this great little plant? She really likes the humidity, this one. 3. Lion's Tail (Leonotis Nepetefolia). Germinated under the same conditions as the murdered obtusifolia. All fell over and died over a one-week period. They couldn't even hold their own weight, and the ones that did just shriveled up and died. My only conclusion is that South Africa is a desert!!! Foolish Extra-Australian Terrestrial Druid [ 12. August 2003, 09:11: Message edited by: druid ]
  13. druid

    Acacia seedling (plantlets)

    I'm finding some difficulty in the weaning process. I've done this very gradually, opening the ziplock back vent more and more over several days. Now her leaves are starting to curl a bit and one fo the main original petals turned brittle and fell off. Is it inevitable that she will lose perhaps *all* her hard-won leaves, but then replenish them? She has no trouble standing on her own (1" tall), but her leaf-frond is wilting a bit and just not adjusting. Will she be OK? DRUID
  14. druid

    M. scabrella seedpods

    Dear Group, 1. Does anyone know for sure whether the rumored m. scabrella peas/seeds can be used for preparing tea? What about the leaves? The stem bark? 2. Same question for m. hostilis? If they can, what precautions? Acidic boiling for cyanide?
  15. Two basic questions for the acacia devotee! 1. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations for how long an acacia plantlet germinated recently from seed needs to remain in a humidity chamber? The usual rule of thumb is "as soon as a seedling's real leaves appear". But I'm not so sure what's "real" and "apocryphal" when it comes to acacia phyllodes. The seedlings have a frond. Is one frond "enough" to slowly acclimate to ambient humidity? I know they can take arid climate, but how will they do at 60-65% humidity? 2. Next, at what point do I add the rhizobia nitrogen-fixing bacteria? Can it be added only later when the seedling is much stronger, or should it be added while it is still tender? DRUID [ 05. August 2003, 03:32: Message edited by: druid ]
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