Bud imprinting on Agave leaves

[cosmotoad]

Yeah not only is it a little late to start but I can hardly fit another pepper or eggplant into the garden, let alone a huge gourd vine. Next year I'll remember to save a spot. If it's similar to growing squash or pumpkins then I should do OK. Many thanks for offering all the help, maybe by next spring I'll think of some questions.

[WayneByerly]

I don't know about squash or pumpkins, but gourds do require some considerable square footage, as one of the techniques to produce gourds is to pinch off the end of a runner every 5 or 6 ft... Which causes that Runner to branch and produce more flowers... And then you pinch off the end of each one of those runners... And so on ad nauseam.

Keep me in mind, and I'll help if I can.

[DesertSun]

Wayne, I can't even start to comment on how increbible your agave plants are! Awesome! Such amazing plants, gorgeous colors and shapes and your photography really showed off their beauty and uniqueness!

[WayneByerly]

... amazing plants, gorgeous colors and shapes and your photography really showed off their beauty and uniqueness!

Wow... thank you very much, for the everso kind commentary... but I think that I'm rather embarrassed by your effusive praise. I'm not sure that my photographic skills deserve such lionization, although there is one thing that I DO know about photography... that if you take enough pictures, you will eventually wind up with a few really good specimens.

I can certainly hope that at least some of the other members here come even close to your evaluation of both my plants in my photographic skills. Although I'm afraid I cannot take much credit for the plants as I've only had them for a short period of time, and they were a gift from someone else here on the Forum. To whom I shall forever remain grateful!

[DesertSun]

Hello Wayne and all agave lovers of the forum! I got myself a small Agave gypsophila. I really like this one, the only thing to watch out for is that when you touch her leaves the farine on it goes away and it becomes less aesthetically pleasing. I hope you like her!

[WayneByerly]

I'm afraid that I have to agree with you... That is quite an attractive agave, and one that is worthy of being desired for one's own collection.

[Ferocactus57]

Had to get in on the agave love and post some pictures of mine. Agaves are my favorite non cactus succulents.

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Dang hard water mist left behind white residue making this one not as impressive.

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[schmiggle]

I don't know if this is what you were thinking of, but the following paper refers to the markings as "thorn pressmarks," but suggests that they're a form of automimicry--the plant imitates its own thorns to make itself look thornier than it actually is, because doing so is cheaper than investing in more thorns--and calls this "thorn automimicry." While this term does not mean exactly the same thing as "bud imprinting," I thought both that the paper is interesting if anyone wants to read it and, more importantly, that the term you were thinking of might be "thorn automimicry."

[saboten]

I don't know if this is what you were thinking of, but the following paper refers to the markings as "thorn pressmarks," but suggests that they're a form of automimicry--the plant imitates its own thorns to make itself look thornier than it actually is, because doing so is cheaper than investing in more thorns--and calls this "thorn automimicry." While this term does not mean exactly the same thing as "bud imprinting," I thought both that the paper is interesting if anyone wants to read it and, more importantly, that the term you were thinking of might be "thorn automimicry."

That's an interesting idea! Did you have a link to the paper?

[WayneByerly]

Thanks for the input Schmiggle, although the the term Thorn Automimicry strikes no bell in trying to recall the term that I read and inconveniently forgot. And although the word "Aposematic", the 'technical' word for thorn automimicry which means "being conspicuous and serving to warn", DOES strike a bell somewhere, I just cannot remember...

I think it about it now and then, but I have ceased to look for the term. You can only do something that fails were so long before you just give up.

[WayneByerly]

That's an interesting idea! Did you have a link to the paper?

No need Saboten... Do a Google Search for thorn automimicry, and you'll get more links to articles on the subject than you'll really want.

[WayneByerly]

Had to get in on the agave love and post some pictures of mine.

I don't know about anybody else, but I cannot for the life of me imagine that I'm unique in always being up for looking at pictures of someone else's plants. So thanks for posting the pictures... I really and truly appreciate it. I like the first one the best ! One of my favorite aspects of Agaves is that long squiggly Thorn at the end of the leaf. The slight snaking back and forth of that long thick horribly short spine at the end of the leaf just shouts pain! And they don't have just the thorn... they have all those teeth down the sides of the leaves. Too, TOO cool, eh?

Agaves are my favorite non cactus succulents.

Oh I agree! Although Cactus are still my favorites, next to the cacti are Agaves, and then Pachypodiums.

[WayneByerly]

... when you touch her leaves the farine on it goes away...

The powdery blue coloration on cacti and succulents is a protective exudation that C & S use to protect themselves from overly strong sunlight... but I have never heard it called farine. And you're right... It's not very persistent. Even the light touch of a silky paintbrush that you might use to dust your plant or to brush away spider webs will cause the decline of this waxy blue coloration.

[Madalyneb]

Not sure if this is what you're looking for but I've heard it called 'thorn automimicry' or 'batesian mimicry' - a way for the plant to appear more thorny and hopefully avoid getting eaten. If this isn't it, good luck!

[WayneByerly]

'thorn automimicry' or 'batesian mimicry' - a way for the plant to appear more thorny and hopefully avoid getting eaten.

Thanks for the input. I have actually been doing some reading on both Thorne Automimicry and Batesian Mimicry. If nothing else, it makes interesting reading.