A little culprit with a big appetite has made a home in my basil plants. I haven't found the voracious eater yet, but if he's planning on continuing in the vein of his comrade documented in print, I may have to perform a forced relocation.
Remember the Encephalartos ferox I was pollinating last October? I have since moved on from that job, but just received word that the plant was successfully fertilized. When the plant decides it's time to spread its seed, the cone literally falls apart. It's quite a mess, as you can see:
My former colleagues at the Jurassic Garden gathered up the seeds and "float tested" them, meaning they put them in a bucket of water. Those that sink have a high probability of germinating. And guess what, most of them sank! It's quite an achievement considering this is one of the more difficult cycads to successfully propagate.
