Larry,
I'm glad to see you've got the "bug" again, it's so contagious! Would you mind re-posting a photo of your Chamaedorea metallica? I believe your "Little Warty" was posted twice.

Planto

Ah thanks planto, Photobucket is acting up today, try again...

{{gwi:105088}}

Larry, welcome back to the plant world. :)

You have some beutiful, very interesting plants. I too love thick=trunk/caudex plants.

How long did it take for your Chamaedorea to germinate? Lovely...Toni

Good looking plants. Especially like the Gasteria. It looks rarin' to go! Are the leaflets on the Chamaedorea still stuck together? Or maybe they don't separate like a parlor palm? Few things are cuter than a lil' palm tree.

Larry,
Sure thing, I didn't want to miss out on your palm ( I'm sure nobody else wanted too either). I forgot to mention in my last post that I like your plants and thanks for sharing the pictures.

Planto

@purple, yes the leaflets are still fused like a fishtail. Ive not come across a mature one so Im not sure what to expect.

OMG! The urge to reach into the computer and separate those leaflets is overwhelming and, of course, ridiculous. And the urge to remove those old leaf stumps from the trunk. For many years, I watch for new palm leaves to start opening and then "help" them do it faster, and I tug on leaf stumps often to see if they'll come loose yet. Some people like the look of them on there though. Diff strokes for diff folks. I don't like being such a micro-manager but seem helpless to control it... Don't think the palms care either way, and not saying you should do with your plant as I do with mine if the ideas conflict, it's just a compulsion I have.

I know nothing about Gasteria but it looks kind of like a bulb. Really like looking at that foliage. What's going on under the soil surface?

@purple the Gasteria is a succulent related to Aloes and Haworthia.
As for the palm leaves, no way I'm gonna split them, it would damage them!

So I'm guessing the leaves on that Gasteria are "fat and juicy?" I sure would like to touch it. (Plants allow you to say a lot of innocent yet pervy sounding things, huh?)

Do you really think separation would harm the leaves? (Hope that sounds like the real question it is, and not snark.) Is each leaflet separately attached to the (not sure if petiole is the right word here?) Fired up a search and did see almost all pics of undivided leaves. Is it a juvenile/adult thing? No idea there was a palm with un-palmish leaves. Definitely interesting stuff.

@purple, the Gasteria's leaves are actually stiff, not typically succulent feeling, and with a rough, knobbly texture.

The palm, when mature the leaves become palmate but at the moment theyre like one fish tail shaped leaf. If I tried to seperate them I would be tearing the rachis which would result in brown edges.

Yep, I really do want to touch 'em, the G. leaves.

That's what I thought you were going to say about the palm leaf from the pics I saw yesterday. Pics do say 1,000 words, but it's those last 37 that made it clear for me. Thanks! That's an unusual, way-cool palm.

About the Pelargonium, did you mean that you hybridized a plant and this is a cutting from that offspring? How old is that plant? Toni has a cool one that's inspired me to try to keep one as a house plant but since reaching that conclusion all I can find is red, which I don't prefer.

I LOVE that palm tree!

Where to get one now? Seriously..:-)

Beautiful job and great looking plants you have there on the other side of the pond.

Mike

Larry, there is a succulent called, Gasteraloe, synonym, Gastrolea.
I Googled Gasteraloe pictures..there's numerous varities.
However, one that resembles yours is called 'Green Ice.'

Whichever, yours is very very nice..love the colors.

Oh oh, I'm a bad influence..Pelargoniums. :)

About the Pelargonium. A couple of years ago I had two Pels, one dark pink, strong growing, and another with pink flowers and green/white foliage. I crossed them, sowed seeds and got a new plant. That one died but I got a cutting from it, the one you see here.

@hopeful, gasteraloe is actually a hybrid genus of Gasteria and Aloe, and its usually written x Gasteraloe. Some genus will hybridise, echeveria and Graptopetalum being another, making xGraptoveria.

You have a neat Trichodiaema bulbosum its tuberous if you over pot it for a season or two by sinking the caudex below the soil line in the same manner as a Folkea. The caudex wont get as big as a folkea caudex in one/two season but would be more noticeable

Thanks mrlike. Ive had it a good few years now and its flowered at least once, bright purple mesemb flowers!

Your Chamaedorea metallica doesn't have that typical "metallic" look to it, probably due to lack of light. They can take a lot of sun and darken up well from it. The normal shape leaves for them are as in the photo now and they won't change or get much bigger. I've photos of older plants which have stems up to about 2 metres tall and the leaves still that size and shape. But that said, there is a variety which does develop pinnate leaves, although it's fairly rare. I've seen a photo of one, but not the actual plant.

Thanks tropic, I moved it because I thought it was too bright, must be cold that damaged the leaves I had to remove

Morning Everyone,

Larry..I agree...I always called my Gasteraloe, Gasteraloe too. But, when I first Googled info about this plant, the name Gastrolia came up as a synonum.
So, when someone asks what my plant is I say Gasteraloe. lol.

Your palm is adorable. Toni