Very odd bulbil - aloe mites! Yikes!

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Spination
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Very odd bulbil - aloe mites! Yikes!

#1

Post by Spination »

It's an interesting hybrid, acquired as Aloe 'Pinwheel'. This is not the first hybrid bulbil I've seen now, others so far I've had on A. 'Christmas Carol', A. 'Pickled Pink', A. 'Delta Lights'. In those cases, the bulbils were a clear miniature developing rosette somewhere around the middle of the bloom stalk. This time, the growth is very confusing, not really evident what exactly it's going to be - like whether it's a single rosette, or more than one crammed together, or maybe a cristate growth? Meanwhile, the plant is putting forth a fresh bloom still in an early stage.
2016 10 24 Aloe Pinwheel a X750.jpg
2016 10 24 Aloe Pinwheel a X750.jpg (267.8 KiB) Viewed 1991 times
2016 10 24 Aloe Pinwheel b.JPG
2016 10 24 Aloe Pinwheel b.JPG (83.6 KiB) Viewed 1991 times
Other bulbils to date
2015 02 13 Aloe Xmas Carol a X750.jpg
2015 02 13 Aloe Xmas Carol a X750.jpg (200.78 KiB) Viewed 1991 times
2016 06 10 Aloe Delta Lights a X750.jpg
2016 06 10 Aloe Delta Lights a X750.jpg (247.37 KiB) Viewed 1991 times
2016 10 24 Aloe Pickled Pink X750.jpg
2016 10 24 Aloe Pickled Pink X750.jpg (247.97 KiB) Viewed 1991 times
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#2

Post by Agavemonger »

Tom-- your photo of the "cristate" bulbil is not quite clear enough to tell for sure, but sometimes multiple bulbils will form at one time, eventually sorting themselves out into a smaller group of individual plantlets.

I should also warn you that this is much more commonly a direct result of an eriophyoid mite infestation. :red: Treating the plants with rotational spraying will take care of the mites if that is the problem. You might even eventually get some "Callous Tissue" growth out of it if you are lucky.

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Re: Very odd bulbil

#3

Post by Spination »

Appreciate the info and heads up. I was leaning towards the possibility of multiple bulbils, which would be a first for me. At this moment, even with magnifying glass in hand, I can't really tell exactly what it all is just yet. In several years now, this is only my 4th different Aloe bulbil experience, and only on the hybrids. The others though were all just one clearly defined plantlet/bulbil...nothing quite like this oddity, but it is a rather odd looking plant to begin with. I'm looking forward to watching this develop and hopeful that perhaps I'll be getting more than one bulbil this time around. A cluster of them would be very cool. :8:
As far as mites, I'm doubtful about that as there have been no issues for some time, plants are looking really good, and all of these Aloe leaves are very clean on all of my plants and no otherwise weird stuff going on. I'm working with the plants every day, and am being very observant and watchful.
Also, tilting the odds even more in my favor, I have cut way way down on new acquisitions this year, instead focusing on reproduction with what I already have. Lots of seedlings in the hopper, and many more on the way. Got a wonderful new wave of flowering going on, pods ripening on plants, other pods drying and waiting for them to crack open, and surely many more on the way. Each morning, paintbrush in hand... D)) :U I even got my first Haworthia pods starting to develop, a yet undetermined cross involving H. Hakuja, H. Harry Johnson, H. truncata. Pods are developing on H.J. - I believe the pollen donor is truncata, but Hakuja is the other possible pollen donor. So much fun!
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#4

Post by Spination »

Latest look at this interesting growth, and still not sure what exactly it is in terms of a single bulbil, or a cluster. Anyway, it's still growing... Also, this plant has got a new inflorescence growing, and this time around the developing flowers are looking normal. Regarding the idea of a mite problem, I'm highly doubting that as a possibility, as there's no leaf malformation that I can see on the rosette, and the new flowering looks quite normal, and none of the surrounding plants show indications of any problems.
2016 12 11 Aloe Pinwheel a X750.jpg
2016 12 11 Aloe Pinwheel a X750.jpg (318.68 KiB) Viewed 1933 times
close up
2016 12 11 Aloe Pinwheel a a.JPG
2016 12 11 Aloe Pinwheel a a.JPG (110.62 KiB) Viewed 1933 times
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#5

Post by Spination »

Here's an updated current look at this Aloe 'Pinwheel' hybrid bulbil cluster. It's bigger, and now it's apparent that it's a cluster of plantlets growing out of what appears to be a point in the inflorescence stem that swelled, looking rather like a tumor composed of meristematic tissue from which tiny rosettes are springing forth, crammed together. I'm going to let them grow as large as they're able before separating them and rooting how ever many they turn out to be alter all said and done. It's kind of like a freakish but natural tissue culture procedure done by the plant itself. From the way the stem is bent at the point of the growth, I'm speculating perhaps some injury to it as it was developing, which initiated the subsequent growth.
2017 03 23 Aloe Pinwheel bulbil cluster b.JPG
2017 03 23 Aloe Pinwheel bulbil cluster b.JPG (118.09 KiB) Viewed 1880 times
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#6

Post by Melt in the Sun »

That looks exactly like every photo of aloe mite I've ever seen.
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#7

Post by Spination »

Well, that's the second mention, so I would have to consider that a likely probability then. Since the first time it was brought up, I sprayed the plant and adjacent plants with miticide as a precaution. I'll probably dose it again just for good measure. The interesting part is the rosette's appearance is completely unaffected, with the damage having occurred only on that inflorescence. I would have to assume as well given no activity on surrounding plants, that the mites came with the plant (from a Florida nursery).

So... propagation by Aloe mite? Pretty sure I'm going to eventually get a bunch of tiny new rosettes out of that mess. At some point, I'm going to separate them and root 'em up.
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#8

Post by Spination »

By the way, thanks for mentioning that. I just went out there and drenched that plant and everything nearby with Avid now too.
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#9

Post by Azuleja »

I don't know if I'm using the term correctly but it does look like cristate growth and not individual plantlets. You know I'm paranoid about mites so I'd probably be burning them! It's weird though that all your other plants are so healthy. Do you happen to have a microscope?
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#10

Post by Spination »

I just spent some time perusing online material regarding Aloe mite and galls. I would agree that the mite opinions are correct. That said, they are susceptible to miticides, and with 2 sprayings now including today's Avid application, I don't believe they can survive. I've also read that they can be killed inside the galls where they hide, and the abnormal growth persists even after the mites are gone. And yeah, it is pretty weird the only evidence of the mites in that plant was from the inflorescence, and nothing at all I can detect on the leaves of the rosette. :huh: Another aspect is that the plants in that enclosure were subjected to freezing temps on a number of occasions during the winter, before I added a heater to that unit. I had read in the past that freezing is another method of killing the mites...that is if the plants can survive the freezing as well.

Apparently, it is the chemical which the mites inject into the tissue which causes the abnormal growth in the plant tissue where the mites are at work. Some more reading revealed cases where even after mites were killed, some plants went into super reproductive mode, where even solitary species produced myriad offsets, and often in between leaves (interstitial). The inference is that the chemical manufactured by the mites has some interesting growth applications whereby growth and reproduction can be stimulated that wouldn't have otherwise occurred. So far, I've read nothing as to if the chemical has been identified and what exactly it is., which sure would be interesting to know. ::wink::

The bottom line is I am left with a portion of living cellular material remaining on that inflorescence which has been stimulated through the mite's chemical introduction into growth of what looks to me like miniature rosettes all crammed together. I think I'm going to try and take advantage of the occurrence and see if I can't use that tissue to make more of this interesting hybrid. I've rooted several bulbils before, and for all intents and purposes, this is just one artificially created bulbil created by mite activity, albeit one very abnormal bulbil.

Of note as well is that the plant in the meantime has also produced an offset, and it looks normal too in every respect. Oh, I sprayed the heck out of it too. ::wink::
2017 03 15 Aloe Pinwheel c.JPG
2017 03 15 Aloe Pinwheel c.JPG (108.74 KiB) Viewed 1868 times
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#11

Post by Agavemonger »

If it truly is mites, then once the mites are gone the "gall" tissue will normally produce lots of little "normal" plantlets that look like typical interstitial sprouts. Once they are large enough, you can root them like a normal stem cutting.

And yes, theoretically the chemical produced and injected into the cells the mites feed on could be studied as a possible growth hormone. This type of altered growth seems to me to be quite similar to undifferentiated callous growth as produced in the tissue culture process.

Oh, and for anybody who subscribes to the idea that mites can't survive freezing temperatures, I assure you that this "theory" is patently absurd. It has absolutely no basis in scientific fact. There are thousands of species of eriophyoid mites; many if not most could easily overwinter at far, far below freezing temperatures for many months on end. As observed in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, for instance. Tucked in all nice and cozy-like in bulb platelets, bud and bark tissues, and any number of different custom-made callous tissue homes of each mite species' individual evolutionary design. They are just biding their sweet time waiting for spring, a lot like the somewhat elevated species studying this forum! ::roll:: D))

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Re: Very odd bulbil

#12

Post by Spination »

Thanks Monger for all the additional info. So, thumbs up for the idea of rooting the plantlets. :U

No go on the wrong info that freezing temps kill the mites.
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#13

Post by Spination »

So, the latest on the Aloe 'Pinwheel' hybrid is that I opted to cut off that pest ridden inflorescence with mite gall and destroy it. I also sprayed the heck out the plant, probably overdid it too (4 sprayings with Avid), but the plant is still alive, and presumably the mites are not, so all is well I guess.
It's blooming now again, and the inflorescence this time shows no sign of malformations, so that would indicate the mites are kaput/finis/terminado.
2017 05 12 Aloe Pinwheel b X800.jpg
2017 05 12 Aloe Pinwheel b X800.jpg (162.49 KiB) Viewed 1820 times
The rosette itself developed some ugly spotting starting after the treatments, and I'm not sure if that's from overdoing it with the spraying, or if those spots mark the previously invisible locations of mite habitation. I don't care, as the plant will grow to perfection again eventually, and hopefully the mites are gone forever (or until the next time :U: )
2017 05 12 Aloe Pinwheel a X800.jpg
2017 05 12 Aloe Pinwheel a X800.jpg (250.04 KiB) Viewed 1820 times
Interestingly, the offset that came from this plant (also sprayed) shows no symptoms of anything, is clean, and growing.
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Re: Very odd bulbil

#14

Post by Spination »

Here's an update on the plant in question. Yes, I learned during the course of this thread it was no bulbil at all, but the evidence of an aloe mite infestation in the form of a gall, half-way up the inflorescence.
From what I know now, a different and more common plant I would not have bothered with, but destroyed immediately. In any case, this one is not very common, and I've not actually seen another one since I got it...so... it was annoying that it came with mites, but I'm still glad I have it.

Interestingly, the offset from this plant never showed sign of mites, but I don't know if it's because it was unaffected, or the Avid it got sprayed with did the trick.
offset today
2018 01 16 Aloe Pinwheel P1 a.jpg
2018 01 16 Aloe Pinwheel P1 a.jpg (215.94 KiB) Viewed 1486 times
hybrid today - new growth is clean (white residue is from chemicals sprayed - I still spray it periodically)
2018 01 16 Aloe Pinwheel a.jpg
2018 01 16 Aloe Pinwheel a.jpg (122.46 KiB) Viewed 1486 times
Here is an area of tissue infestation where growth was mutated/grotesque...and after the spraying did the job and eliminated the mites, where the growth has instead become an area of interstitial pup development. the one which is quite clear features pristine new growth - evidence that the mites are gone. Surrounding that offset is still visible damage, which will probably be another year yet before those leaves have been replaced.
2018 01 16 Aloe Pinwheel b.jpg
2018 01 16 Aloe Pinwheel b.jpg (87.69 KiB) Viewed 1486 times
Lastly, the last bloom was completely clean - no deformity or abnormal growth.
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