Share The Seeds
Gardening Area => Growing questions and answers => Topic started by: jbz711 on April 26, 2020, 03:46:58 PM
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So last year I bought what was reportedly a banisteriopsis muricata from Randy's Tropicals at http://buyraretropicalplants.com/. I've attached a photo of how it's doing now but I've never been sure about the ID. Does anyone have an opinion on this site? I also got a Cielo and a nice Voacanga Africana that is definitely true from them. Can anyone confirm a positive muricata ID?
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It looks very similar to what it should be.
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It is definitely a caapi. Unfortunately I don't believe it's B. muricata. Mine has a more lanced leaf shape and a different green tone to the leaves.
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For reference, these are the other caapis growing on site, the first is from seed and unknown type, the second was sent to me a few years ago, I think by Auxin, and the third sold by Randy's Tropicals as Cielo "Yellow".
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I was just inspecting the purported Muricata, I noticed a steady stream of ants and some aphids at the growth tip. I went to clean them off and noticed what I at first thought were eggs on the bottom of the leaves, the yellow spots in the picture, but they failed to scrape off, and now I think they're extrafloral nectaries. Does this assist in ID of the caapi?
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The yellow spots are normal I think. I’ve seen them on my plants with no harm done. Ants seem to love caapi. Maybe the ants are farming those aphids. I’ve heard of them doing this.
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Lots of plants in the Malpighaceae have extrafloral nectariesso yes, they are characteristic but not usable as diagnostic for any particular species.
Muricata has leaf undersides that are silvery due to lots of very fine hairs. It's other name is B. argentea which means 'silver' in Latin. Once you see it you'll know, but I'm not seeing that in any of your pics.