Yet another ID Q: what produced the pod and seeds?

[Desert O'Piñon]

I keep finding random seeds. This pod was partially cracked open and these three seeds were inside. Any clues on identification?

 

[KateM]

Some kind of buckeye?

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

That's the closest I can find. But I think we only have Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) down here, and it's not a true Buckeye at all.

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/native-to-the-northern-chihuahua-desert.65388/post-1179640

This is everything I know about this species at this point. Except that it takes about 10 to 15 days for germination, and stratification and/or scarification is unnecessary. I'm about to learn plenty more over the next few years.

 

[KateM]

This looks like a real buckeye. Where did you find it?

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

No idea!
I don't catalog well at all. It's not impossible for it to be a real Buckeye.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

I guess it was primarily the small size of the pod and seed that was causing me to doubt buckeye, but it could be.

I don't know if they grow here, but it seems less than ideal for bonsai. But I'll just have to wait and see if it even germinates to determine the true species.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Forget the seeds... what's up with the 61 year old nickel?

Buckeyes fall into the same category as walnuts and hickories. They have large compound leaves that are extremely challenging to work with for bonsai. Additionally... those seeds look very old and dried out. I question whether they would still be viable. If you are interested in messing with buckeyes, I would recommend buying some seeds online that don't look like they came out of the pyramids

 

[KateM]

Yes, as far as I know, buckeye seeds lose viability very fast if allowed to dry up...

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

Not necessarily interested, just curious to know what kind of seeds they are. I looked at some threads where this was the general consensus, that they were unlikely to ever be good bonsai. I really wish I knew where I got the pod in the first place. We definitely don't have any around here.
The nickel just happened to be in my pocket.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Not necessarily interested, just curious to know what kind of seeds they are. I looked at some threads where this was the general consensus, that they were unlikely to ever be good bonsai. I really wish I knew where I got the pod in the first place. We definitely don't have any around here.
The nickel just happened to be in my pocket.

I'm obviously just joking around

Buckeyes are horse chestnuts - which differ from real chestnuts in many ways - not the least of which is that they have compound leaves. American and Chinese chestnuts do not. If you want to mess with chestnuts, consider getting a Chinese chestnut - they are extremely hardy and have medium-sized leaves. They like full sun and supposedly can grow in NM. I've got a dozen small ones in my landscape here, and I'm hoping to get them to grow if I can keep the deer from eating them!

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

I'm obviously just joking around

Buckeyes are horse chestnuts - which differ from real chestnuts in many ways - not the least of which is that they have compound leaves. American and Chinese chestnuts do not. If you want to mess with chestnuts, consider getting a Chinese chestnut - they are extremely hardy and have medium-sized leaves. They like full sun and supposedly can grow in NM. I've got a dozen small ones in my landscape here, and I'm hoping to get them to grow if I can keep the deer from eating them!

I've germinated 2 Mexican Buckeye so far. I'll see what I can do with them first, but Chinese chestnuts definitely sound interesting.
I think I want to primarily focus my small but rapidly expanding collection on native species, as few Chihuahua desert trees are well-known in bonsai. Maybe there's a reason beyond just not being adapted to wetter climates. If so, I'll find out.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

I'm hoping to get them to grow if I can keep the deer from eating them!

You have to keep Jack away from them, too. He was telling me how good they are roasted over open flames, but his attitude was a little frosty. Cool guy, though.

 

[KateM]

I just dug up 3 chestnut seedlings from an old farm sold for wherehouses that used to be owned by an Italian family. Not sure exactly what kind they are. The parent trees are huge. Could be from the old country (Italy). They don't seem to be affected by the chestnut blight, but it could be because there is no other chestnuts around. The leaves and nuts are smaller than the tree I observe near my place of work. It has larger leaves/nuts, it is much younger and partially girded by blight.
Well, sorry to bomb your thread, but that's what you get for not knowing where your seeds come from.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

My mother lives near Cincinnati, and I remember noticing how tall some species grew, especially closer to the river. They don't get that big here.

 

[Gabler]

Cool guy, though.

I have to disagree. He bit me on the nose.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I just dug up 3 chestnut seedlings from an old farm sold for wherehouses that used to be owned by an Italian family. Not sure exactly what kind they are.

My chestnut trees came from seeds from an old tree on a farm in Virginia. A friend of mine gave them to me for fun, and I planted them up and they all germinated. He was convinced they were American chestnut (due to the age of the tree) but the leaves looked like Chinese chestnut to me. So I sent them out to a lab to be DNA tested... and they came back 100% Chinese chestnut. I don't know how an old Chinese chestnut ended up on a farm in Virginia, but that's another story

 

[KateM]

My chestnut trees came from seeds from an old tree on a farm in Virginia. A friend of mine gave them to me for fun, and I planted them up and they all germinated. He was convinced they were American chestnut (due to the age of the tree) but the leaves looked like Chinese chestnut to me. So I sent them out to a lab to be DNA tested... and they came back 100% Chinese chestnut. I don't know how an old Chinese chestnut ended up on a farm in Virginia, but that's another story

@Bonsai Nut
Can you tell me more about plant DNA test services you used?
How, where and how much, please?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

@Bonsai Nut
Can you tell me more about plant DNA test services you used?
How, where and how much, please?

Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Lab Utah Pests Extension Department of Biology Office: (435) 797-2435 | Mobile: (385) 367-3773 Utah State University | BNR 203

I had to pay UPS shipping to send them the appropriate plant sample. Results were emailed to me. $30 via PayPal.

Note that they provide a lot of services to agricultural clients, including pest and disease identification. I simply wanted a DNA test to confirm species. My point of contact was Claudia Nischwitz.

 

[penumbra]

My chestnut trees came from seeds from an old tree on a farm in Virginia. A friend of mine gave them to me for fun, and I planted them up and they all germinated. He was convinced they were American chestnut (due to the age of the tree) but the leaves looked like Chinese chestnut to me. So I sent them out to a lab to be DNA tested... and they came back 100% Chinese chestnut. I don't know how an old Chinese chestnut ended up on a farm in Virginia, but that's another story

My parents owned a very old farm with a lot of history in Markham Virginia with first original building built before the War of Independence. It has a huge Chinese Chestnut tree, largest I have ever seen. Don't know how or when it got there but there it is to this day. New owners, parents are gone now.
BTW, on the I D , Buckeye was all that came to my mind, but it wasn't quite right either. I planted a red buckeye at my house about 30+ years ago. It is in bloom now and it has at least 3 young plants within about 30 -40 feet of the original which is only about 8 feet tall at best.

 

[KateM]

Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Lab Utah Pests Extension Department of Biology Office: (435) 797-2435 | Mobile: (385) 367-3773 Utah State University | BNR 203

I had to pay UPS shipping to send them the appropriate plant sample. Results were emailed to me. $30 via PayPal.

Note that they provide a lot of services to agricultural clients, including pest and disease identification. I simply wanted a DNA test to confirm species. My point of contact was Claudia Nischwitz.

Thank you. I sent an out of state test inquiry.