Annona reticulata seedling with flower buds?

[mchestnut]

I have 4 Annona reticulata seedlings a little less than 2 months old. Three are growing as I would expect, but I noticed one of the seedlings has what appears to be flower buds on it. The seeds germinated around 6/5, and I first noticed the bud on 7/10 (35 days after germination). The first bud grew from the leaf node of the third true leaf, and the next node up looks to have a bud as well. The terminal bud stopped growing where the flower bud appeared, and the axillary bud took over. Has anyone else seen anything like this and does my analysis seem accurate?

These photos are from 7/17:






These photos are from 7/26:

[Daintree]

I rather suspect that what you are looking at is a new branch forming with several leaves on it, as opposed to a flower bud.  I went out to my greenhouse just now and took pictures of my mature tree.

I wasn't able to find a brand new branch like in your picture, but here is a pic of one that formed a short while ago.


Here are the flower buds.  Yours look more like they will turn into leaves on a new little branch.


Cheers,
Carolyn

[mchestnut]

Thanks for the photos! I will keep an eye on it and update if it grows out a bit more.

[enomi]

Definitely new leaf growth pushing out. They have flowered at a year old, but these are seedlings. Does not look like flowers, they would be rounder and enclosed.

[mchestnut]

I cut one of the buds open to look at it under the microscope, and it looks like a flower bud. All the fleshy pillars look like they would become the scale sections of the fruit. Also now that they've grown out a bit more, they have the more elongated look that I've seen in pictures of flower buds. I pulled off all the buds to make it put its energy into growing, but once it gets a little bigger I'll try letting one grow out fully.

[kh0110]

Those are flowers alright. Wow! at 2 months old???

Which variety is that A. Reticulata?

[mchestnut]

It is an Annona reticulata that I got from trade winds fruit. This is the listing: https://www.tradewindsfruit.com/annona-reticulata-custard-apple-seeds I noticed the first bud after 35 days at the node of the 3rd true leaf. It must have some mutation since the other 3 (I got 4 seeds) look like normal seedlings. This seedling is also weird in that every time it puts out a leaf, the apical bud stops growing, or maybe it turns into the flower bud, and the axillary bud takes over.

[Daintree]

Cool! Save that baby, for sure!

Carolyn