Mystery Seed!
- Thread starter Hawaii Life
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It looks like the seed head is still on, is that right? Wait until the leaves unfold and you might have a better idea. Looks like it might be some kind of Euphorb like maybe an Jatropha. If you remove the seed head prematurely it will probably die.
Wow! Yes seed head is still on. Never would have guessed a succulent from the size of the seed? We shall see.
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Euphorbia are not succulents and range from small plants to large trees.
Misunderstood an article. Thanks for clarifying
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@Hawaii Life here is a photo of a seedling coming up in my garden at this time. It is not the same as your seedling but has some similar qualities. This is an Jatropha multifida seedling and the resulting bush/tree can grow to approx. 10 ft (3 m). This is what prompted me to make the guess about your seed. Euphorbs (if that is what it is) can be quite toxic (all parts) so be sure to educate your children. The sap can cause quite a rash on some people, so it would be a handle with care plant for adults and a "don't touch" for children.
Well, the genus Euphorbia is large and diverse. There are both many succulent and non-succulent species in this genus.
Jatropha is another distinct genus, but both are in the same family, Euphorbiaceae.
This is a very intriguing idea that the OP's mystery seedling could be a Jatropha. I do not know if that is correct, but Physic-nut (Jatropha curcas) is naturalized in Hawaii, especially on the Big Island. It is interesting that Jatropha multifida sometimes retains the fruit coat after germination. It is possible for up to three seeds to develop in each Jatropha fruit, though presumably sometimes only one develops or germinates..