Nuytsia floribunda (WA Christmas Tree)

[Gimli]

Stopped off on the way home from a plantation to check out these beauties...

 

Edited January 1, 2019 by Gimli

[Black Rainbow]

I had a crack at growing N. floribunda from seed.
 

I had about 10 total, which I got from Zanthorrea Nursery. I made a mix of organics to river sand at a ratio of about 1:1, placed some in a takeaway container and some in a pot. I pushed the seeds down lightly on top of the mix, added some smoke starter granules and gave a medium to heavy water misting. I put the lid on the takeaway container.
 

I left both batches in a low to partial sunlight in late summer, temperature probably ranged between 20-35 degrees celsius. After a week or so I gave some more water to the seeds in the pot, but not in the take away container as it was still damp. Nothing happened for four – six weeks. Then, two seeds germinated, both in the takeaway container. When I transplanted the seedlings into an equivalent soil mix in a pot and moved them into slightly more sun they died after about two weeks. Next time I think I will keep them in a green house until they are more mature.

I've also attached some info provided by the Zanthorrea Nursery. I think they were claiming they were the only successful cultivator, but I have since heard Westgrow Farm Trees have had some success. I rekon we can do it, we just gotta try harder!

[Strontium Dawg]

Aren't they hemiparasitic? Might need to work out what sort of host they need to feed from as well to be successful. @Gimli any idea on this?

[Black Rainbow]

Apparently they can survive without a host as juveniles. I've heard Goodenia is a host used in cultivation but they grow on Acacia acuminata in the wild. It would be cool if they could be hosted on other Acacia too... 

[Gimli]

19 minutes ago, Wile E. Peyote said:

Apparently they can survive without a host as juveniles. I've heard Goodenia is a host used in cultivation but they grow on Acacia acuminata in the wild. It would be cool if they could be hosted on other Acacia too... 

 

All the specimens I've seen in the wild are nowhere near Acacia acuminata, or any Acacia spp for that matter

 

43 minutes ago, Glaukus said:

Aren't they hemiparasitic? Might need to work out what sort of host they need to feed from as well to be successful. @Gimli any idea on this?

 

It is a obligate root hemiparasitic plant. Experimentation is needed to determine what the requirements are for a good host given the species in a 100ft radius are from various FAMILY including Myrtaceae, Asphodelaceae, Proteaceae and more

[Black Rainbow]

I've only had the opportunity to go N. florifbunda IDing once, and I didn't see any hosted by Acacia either. I dream about this and was encouraged by something I read that made it sound like Acacia auminata and Acacia cyclops could make good hosts.
 

“Experiments in which haustoria-bearing associations of Nuytsia partnered with nodulated Acacia hosts (Acacia acuminata and A. cyclops) were fed 15N2 showed significant transfer of 15N to the parasite, but failed to determine whether the label had been acquired through haustoria or directly by Nuytsia roots following turnover of nodule and root residues of the host in the rooting medium. A parallel study using the unusual non-protein amino acid, djenkolic acid, as a marker of benefit from the djenkolic acid-containing host A. cyclops, showed appearance and progressive build-up of the compound in foliage of Nuytsia over a 6 month period after partnering the species in pot culture. Presence of the compound at final harvest in xylem sap of both partners but not in soil solution of the cultures strongly indicated xylem transfer via haustoria as the principal avenue for N benefit to the parasite.”

Calladine, A., & Pate, J. (2000). Haustorial Structure and Functioning of the Root Hemiparastic Tree Nuytsia floribunda (Labill.) R.Br. and Water Relationships with its Hosts. Annals of Botany, 85(6), 723-731. Retrieved from https://oup.silverchair-cdn.com/oup/backfile/Content_public/Journal/aob/85/6/10.1006_anbo.2000.1129/2/850733.pdf?Expires=2147483647&Signature=2SntMB0-7YJUM6l4ZpPKmrfQf~HaqOMbe3XqyP7P6fRfMrezXwHqeX1w1zsCIxb60cdn8emS-vA2JRqLHcbxKJjpEqMcdaZHAx2tepUcX~vpTTldhRbP9-amCuLMCtqs~LAGgkYkBy9FYpDllCScaYY6jQXGNgzh6K-yT1nGXnAos3ZXbQqe5QqiYIQQ55ZPHANu~jlQl~gbUXO3dTPQx3DIebM2lTiAS4GozjHjDpLGa1ZjsS2xzuau4dizQAkcvQZmSynL5QuJ7vizUEatTamXSOeh1C6kePNc8crlpgaNAWE6Zmk5L7iY0lqqLZApa47Uzar7~GKR7EEsY5GmSw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA