Can a Japanese maple samara contain 2 embryoes like human fraternal twins? Or can 1 samara produce 2 maples like human identical twins? The reason I ask is it appears that 1 Boskoop Glory samara I planted 10/2/07 has produced 2 separate seedlings entwined together with separate roots. Normally I would assume 2 separate seeds fell together when I hand planted but this samara was not de-winged and it is highly unlikely I planted 2 intact samaras together because I watch carefully to prevent this and because Boskoop winged samaras are not tiny like say a Butterfly samara. It is not uncommon for 2 seedlings to come up entwined together in my planting experience but I always assume I planted 2 seeds together, but in this Boskoop case I very very much doubt I planted 2 separate seeds? Any thoughts please?
The simple answer is yes, that some Japanese Maple seeds can be polyembrionic at times. Much of the time it is not a condition that runs throughout the plant in that all seeds from the Maple that yielded a polyembrionic seed will throw out a high percentage of polyembrionic seeds like some Citrus can and will. Even then, some of the Citrus seeds from that high percentage polyembrionic parent plant will throw out seeds that are not polyembrionic themselves. The test is to see if the trait carries on to the individuals raised from the polyembrionic Maple. Take those two plants and grow them on and wait for them to yield seed and then monitor how many of those seedlings are polyembrionic. A case in point is that in years past a certain Suminagashi I know of would throw out some seed that would yield two offspring from the seed on occasion but the frequency that it would yield two individuals per single seed was less than 5% in a given year. The trait was carried on for even less of a percentage when those seedling plants became seed bearing parents themselves. In other words take it in stride but do not count on seeing it happen all too frequently. Jim
I forgot to mention that one embryo can yield two individuals. This does not mean that the seed was polyembrionic. Usually the lesser individual from such an event dies out before it can emerge from the ground. Also, when both individuals do live this does not mean they will be identical twins in the sense that they are the same in appearance. They can be different. As told to me, there was a variant, green leafed, Bloodgood that was purported to have come about in this same manner from a single embryo. Jim
