I got seeds from a rare endangered Hawai'ian species called Bonamia menziesii (Convolvulaceae). I have about seven seedlings now. "One" of these seedlings produced two radicals and two sets of cotyledons. It looks as if two plants germinated from one seed. One of the "twins" has four cotyledons, and the other has three. I am hypothesizing that two seperate plants came from one seed. I don't want to seperate them because I might be wrong and do some damage. However, I don't want the plants to compete with each other if they are seperate plants.

Is it safe to seperate these plants?

This was not the first time I experience "tricots", or "Botanical twins". With the set of seeds I got of Bonamia menziesii I also got seeds of an endemic Hawai'ian lava flow colonizer, Rumex skottsberghii. Both species were given to me from the same Botanical garden, but I don't think this has to do with their abnormal growth. I have about ten seedlings of Rumex skottsberghii. One of these seedlings germinated with three cotyledons.

Another odd occurence of this tipe was experienced with another endemic Hawai'ian plant, Argemone glauca. It produced two radicals and two cotyledons. I considered this to be one plant. The plant died (about a year ago). From what it looked like it died because it was pot bound. These plants do not like pots. It had developed healthey leaves, and it was not the only plant of this species and this set of seeds that died in a four inch pot at the age it was at.

Argemone glauca has close relatives in North America. It was once classified as A. alba.

What is the correct terminology for plants I like to call tetracots, tricots, and botanical twins? Where can I read about these plants?