Caudiciform just means thick stemmed. I looked it up. I'd just use the soil mix that says it's for starting seeds on the bag. That works fine for pretty much everything including cacti. Probably a lot of them are succulents.

MGF,

If those pics are true to the seeds, you're going to have a heck of a deal there. I'd tend to sow most of those in the spring, guessing what plants they're going to be from the indeterminate pictures shown in your link.

Cooper,

Not with succulent plants, in this instance - it means a fat base, trunk or root, too.

Guess is right it'll take a while for most of them from seed to 'fatten'

They look cool in the pics but I think a couple of them are palms or some kind of trees. Also for some reason ebay calls everything a bonsai. I guess that's kind of more fun when you don't know what's gonna sprout!

I bought a lithop selection from this eBay seller and the germination rate was very good. Unfortunately, I didn't sterilize the potting soil and they all died from damping off diseases. Another try with the soil microwaved for a couple of minutes was successful.

I looked up caudiciforms earlier and it really is just a name for plants with thick stems, no other relation between them. Couldn't find names list for the plants shown on pic, a little research needed there and seller says seeds are not labelled either.
But these plants look really cool, I hope Santa puts this pack under the tree :)

Can cold harm the seeds if shipped during winter?

Euphorbia, Sinningia, Beaucarnea, Mestoklema, Dorstenia, Adenium and Pachypodium are some of the genera shown.

I think that would make it an awfully ambitious group of seeds for such a packet.

But it's your money - get and grow them, I'm hopeful you get a whole lotta caudicious love.

No, winter's not harmful on the seeds, but they shouldn't be subjected to really cold (-30C) temps or so, IMO.

I'm not here to be the naysayer, but I trust you aren't expecting to grow at least one of each pictured in your link. It certainly will be very random. If you want to grow specific caudiciforms from seed, check out Steven Brack's site. IMHO you get more "bang for your buck."

Here is a link that might be useful: Mesa Gardens

Mesa Gardens is excellent. Or at least it was 20 years ago when I grew from seeds. The only problem is that ordering from them is so complicated.

Bonsai The art of controling a plants growth by cultivating it in a 'small dish' or pot

Sometimes a small plant that is cultivated in a 'small dish' may not be a bonsia unless it's growth is controled by other means such as pruning and or wiring for shape..

Generaly speaking more than one cultivating skill is required but the skill does not have to be noticable, by the trained eye that will see it for any plant to be a bonsia

Example by pic, even though it can grow for several years in a small pot already It can be called a bonsia becuace I pruned it for shape and lift occasinaly for caudex exposure in a small pot .

Side note: Frost during shiping if starting seed in spring & some euphorbia seeds aren't viable very long I would think it would be best to hold off untill warmer.

This post was edited by nomen_nudum on Fri, Dec 5, 14 at 1:23