Odd Growth, Viral/Disease/Fungal/Mutation?

VintageNM · May 18, 2014

I have a Hill Billy Potato Leaf that has odd growths like this where suckers should be growing. Its like a stump of composite flowers. Anyone know what it is?

KarenO · May 18, 2014

Weird. I say mutation but I don't know for sure. Carolyn will know.
Karen

Mojave · May 18, 2014

Wow, that's a new one to me!

heirloomtomaguy · May 18, 2014

Never seen that before but grow that sucker out and see if it makes a mater.

**carolyn137** · May 18, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

Weird. I say mutation but I don't know for sure. Carolyn will know.
Karen

You think so Karen?

First, can I assume that the stem on that weird thing inserts directly in the armpit of the two branches where a sucker should appear. I ask because I can't see the insertion point.

If so, then it could well be a somatic mutation, which is a mutation within cell DNA and not in the seed DNA.

If the stem gets long enough why not try to cut it off sharply and try to root it in artificial mix, not water.

Given what you say about the head, if you will, being like a composite flower I doubt if it will ever come to anything since that mutation would be cloned and thus no real blossoms.

But what the heck.

Karen, you seldon see me posting in this disease and pest Forum since for so many yars i spent way too much time at two message sites doing same and here at Tville there are some very good folks at diagnosing problems, which is why I don't read here much at all, having to read so many other threads as a Global Mod here.

i don't know if I've helped or not, but that's what it looks like to me; a somatic mutation.

I almost forgot to ask if this is just on one plant and whether you see any other weirdos like the one you pictured, all related to the same variety/

Carolyn

VintageNM · May 19, 2014

Hi Carolyn,

Yes the odd stem growths come from the armpit between the leaf stems. Grown from seed it is the only plant exhibiting this "mutation" and there was no spread to the other 230 plants cramped in my greenhouse before putting them out in the garden.

I guess I'll keep it alive and see what happens...

Thanks!

VintageNM · May 19, 2014

I also have a Jubilee plant that produced cotyledons and no other growth, the cotyledons are drying up but the stem is still thriving, but not growing any new leaves or stems.

KarenO · May 19, 2014

Yes Carolyn, I think you know everything about tomatoes

KO

May 18, 2014	#3
Mojave Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: SF Bay area Z9a Posts: 821	Wow, that's a new one to me! __________________ Bill _______________________________________________ When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. -John Muir Believe those who seek the Truth: Doubt those who find it. -André Gide

May 18, 2014	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,932	Weird. I say mutation but I don't know for sure. Carolyn will know. Karen

May 18, 2014	#4
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	Never seen that before but grow that sucker out and see if it makes a mater.

May 19, 2014	#6
VintageNM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Sonoma, CA Posts: 7	Hi Carolyn, Yes the odd stem growths come from the armpit between the leaf stems. Grown from seed it is the only plant exhibiting this "mutation" and there was no spread to the other 230 plants cramped in my greenhouse before putting them out in the garden. I guess I'll keep it alive and see what happens... Thanks!