Trifoliate Seedling?

[Nader]

Hello

I noticed to my delight, that one of my Stump of the World tomatoes emerged with three cotyledons! I tried to look up information regarding trifoliate tomatoes, but couldn't find any information that was suited for someone other than a doctor of botany.

I've planted about 500 or so seeds this year, and the Stumps took by far the longest time to germinate of any variety (interestingly enough, my 8 year-old Mennonite heirloom seeds were the quickest by far!) so I was pleased to see an example of something so seemingly rare.

Does anybody know if trifoliate growth patterns/fruit setting is any different than a regular tomato? Also, if I isolated this plant and let it self-seed (assuming it can, being trifoliate) would the resulting generation also be trifoliates?

I will post a picture as soon as I replace the batteries in my camera!!

All the best,

Nader

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Nader

Hello

I noticed to my delight, that one of my Stump of the World tomatoes emerged with three cotyledons! I tried to look up information regarding trifoliate tomatoes, but couldn't find any information that was suited for someone other than a doctor of botany.

I've planted about 500 or so seeds this year, and the Stumps took by far the longest time to germinate of any variety (interestingly enough, my 8 year-old Mennonite heirloom seeds were the quickest by far!) so I was pleased to see an example of something so seemingly rare.

Does anybody know if trifoliate growth patterns/fruit setting is any different than a regular tomato? Also, if I isolated this plant and let it self-seed (assuming it can, being trifoliate) would the resulting generation also be trifoliates?

I will post a picture as soon as I replace the batteries in my camera!!

All the best,

Nader

http://tomatoville.com/search.php?searchid=736804

Here's the results of a search here about tricots. Not all that rare and youll even see a quadcot thread in there as well.

I think all your questions will be answered by reading through those threads.

I'm waiting for someone to come up with a pentacot.

[GunnarSK]

Originally Posted by Nader

Hello

I noticed to my delight, that one of my Stump of the World tomatoes emerged with three cotyledons! I tried to look up information regarding trifoliate tomatoes, but couldn't find any information that was suited for someone other than a doctor of botany.

I've planted about 500 or so seeds this year, and the Stumps took by far the longest time to germinate of any variety (interestingly enough, my 8 year-old Mennonite heirloom seeds were the quickest by far!) so I was pleased to see an example of something so seemingly rare.

Does anybody know if trifoliate growth patterns/fruit setting is any different than a regular tomato? Also, if I isolated this plant and let it self-seed (assuming it can, being trifoliate) would the resulting generation also be trifoliates?

I will post a picture as soon as I replace the batteries in my camera!!

All the best,

Nader

Kozula's experience that she wrote is that plants with three cotyledons will mostly create three (main) stems, but of course you can prune them. The condition isn't genetic.

[carolyn137]

http://idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16244

Gunnar, the condition is genetic.

I found the above link by Googling and bhpigeon is one who has direct experience with tricots and Paqebot Roma is one of his and he's one of several who have looked into the genetics.

By Googling there are plenty of links to the genetics of polycots but I thought the above was best to link to rather than some long discourses on genetics.

Hope this helps.

Carolyn

[mcsee]

I've had a quadcot and numerous tricots from my Lime Green Salad seeds, (both in the same row of seedlings as shown in 2nd photo). I didn't notice any difference in their growth though.

[GunnarSK]

Thank you for clearing that up, Carolyn. All I can do is to quote TennOC from the thread you mentioned: "I learn something every day that I pay attention".

[Nader]

I've kept it going, and thus far it's outperforming all but one of my 150 or so plants, even with it being slightly nibbled on with a minor sunburn. I quite like the interesting fusing of the leaves (the two leaves in the picture facing southwest and southeast) but I wonder... is this normal, or just a trait for potato-leaf triploids? I tried to find another picture, but as much as this topic is talked about, there aren't many pictures of triploid plant after the cotyledons. I was reading up on it, and read that some die after sprouting, some revert back to diploid after a messy childhood, and that some thrive. What d'yall think?

[TZ-OH6]

I too get lots of tricots from Lime Green Salad and LGS crosses. One set (about 40-50 seeds sown) had a large proportion of tricots this spring, 10-15% of seedlings. I also got a quadricot too but from a different seed set.