Pune: unknown seeds dropped by birds, pl id

[Narendra Bhagwat]

Hi All,

I used to see this seeds at our terrace regularly since few years now. I used to think that these are of False Ashoka (Polyalthia Longifolia) tree. And used to think that its squirrel who is getting these.

However, yesterday, as I was sitting under coconut tree, few seeds dropped next to me and when I looked up, there were some birds probably common myna who dropped them.

So, its a good puzzle for me as to what are these seeds ? what is the fruit and why birds are throwing it because typically they would eat the whole fruit! So, please help me solve this mystery. 

Thanks,

Narendra  

[Narendra Bhagwat]

sorry, had forgotten to attach the pic - attached now.

[Ushadi Micromini]

seems these are job's tear seeds

You must look and tell me if there is a NATURAL hole thru and thru as if gGd made it ready to be strung in to a mala or rosary...

if it does, you have your confirmation.

Surajit koley had presented a case here

search and you'll see

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for unknown seeds one rule i follow usually is to  plant a few in a cup of soil and keep it on the kitchen window sill to see how it sprouts and then plant it ...

often id is confirmed to my satisfaction...

do it with this too

and show us what you sprouted in your little teacup or two

usha di

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Usha di
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[Narendra Bhagwat]

Hi Usha Di,

I checked if the seeds have a thru-out small hole, but hole is not there. I even used a needle to poke and see if its covered etc but no, no direct hole anywhere.

Yes, today itself I'll plant few of these seeds and see what comes out.

Another interesting things are that:

1) birds are throwing these seeds - typically they eat whole thing including seed and seeds is thrown via dropping.

2) here its not thru bird dropping - so the fruit what is eaten is taken to another tree - my house :), here seeds are dropped!

3) seems kind of rumination - where food is stored, taken to a distant tree and then eaten slowly.

4) these seeds must be dropped since long and all over the place - how come not seen a "tree" coming our from that naturally!

So many angles.

Thanks,

Narendra

​

[nawaqif]

My guess is that it could be a Grewia species. The fibrous covering and the reddish tinge are my clues. May i suggest that the pictures have some scale reference otherwise it is difficult to make out the actual size of the seeds. Polyalthia seeds are normally much bigger than Grewia seeds - 1.5 x 2-3 cm long vs 5-8 mm diameter.

As Ushadi suggests you should just sow some and check out what comes out. Grewia's in my experience have low rate of germination and birds eat the seed kernel as well, not to mention ants.

[Shrikant Ingalhalikar]

I hope the palm that you were looking up is Cyagrus coronata or miniature coconut palm since these are the seeds (without the outer sweet covering) of that palm. I am sure if your palm is a coconut palm then there must be one around. Location? The size may be 2-3 cm. Regards

[Narendra Bhagwat]

Some of these are cherry red color, here is today's collected.

[Narendra Bhagwat]

Here is one i just having the outer peel.

[Narendra Bhagwat]

update: 1) attaching photo showing scaling - these are less than a centimeter 

2) apparently some bird droppings have also showing these seeds  (but most seems to have dropped from beak)

3) waiting for sowed seeds to sprout .. so a long wait!

Thanks,

Narendra. 

[Ushadi Micromini]

Ok

so not job's tears

Like SHrikant suggests if Cygnus just take some crown / the top of tree/palm  pictures from where you were sitting under it

and from a distance to show the trunk, height and the crown of this palm

Just as Nawaqif suggested place a ruler or a pen or even your finger  next to one of the sets of theses seeds for reference of size  in new set of pictures

can you also get pictures of the birds actually sitting up on the tree?

nice observation so far

just finer tuning it would give you and us the answers

intrigues me

usha di

ps your newest pic shows them to be about 7 to 8 mm

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Usha di
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[Ushadi Micromini]

Also

if the seeds are dropped

there has to be some naturally sprouting in the soil around the tree base or around the tubs of plants in your balcony from the months past....

it would be interesting to uproot some "unknown " sprouted plants and see what's at the junction of the stem and the root system... the round seed's remnants would be a tell tale  indication..

worth a look

or waiting till monsoon to see if some sprout on their own in soil...

usha di.

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Usha di
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[Narendra Bhagwat]

1. no "palm" tree - the coconut tree I had mentioned is a typical coconut tree - no palm 

2. no natural sprouting seen, but will keep an eye

3. have already sowed few seeds a week ago, waiting. including one found in bird droppings.

4. will try to see the source bird.

5. yes, seed size is 7mm.

Thanks,

Narendra

[Narendra Bhagwat]

Update: I just googled for "Palm Tree Seeds" and bumped on this seed which looks similar to the one found at my terrace. "Cuban Royal Palm". Please check. The picture compares both now - the left one at my place and the right corner found on google.

Thanks,

Narendra

[J.M. Garg]

Forwarding again for Id confirmation or otherwise  please.

Some earlier relevant  feedback:

efi page on Roystonea regia - Cuban Royal Palm

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[Gurcharan Singh]

Forwarding for ID

Distributed as Roystonia regia ?

Group discussion at

Pune: unknown seeds dropped by birds, pl id (google.com)

[Gurcharan Singh]

Forwarding for ID

Distributed as Roystonia regia ?

Group discussion at

Pune: unknown seeds dropped by birds, pl id (google.com)

[J.M. Garg]

I think Roystonea regia, as per images at 
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/roystonea-regia-16033503730.html
https://www.rarepalmseeds.com/roystonea-regia-florida
https://idtools.org/id/palms/palmid/factsheet.php?name=Roystonea+regia

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