Pepper helmet heads - Page 4

dmforcier · February 20, 2017

As I've said, stems without cotyledons can produce true leaves and go on to flourish. Let me cite the case of Immortal Beloved, my first named plant - a Bhut Jolokia. (Don't try this at home! Naming a plant is a dangerous thing and may lead to madness and divorce.)

As a tiny child, Immortal Beloved developed near-terminal helmet head so no cotyledons. But it had a turgid green stem so I left it, curious. Shortly it became one of the few seedlings to survive The Great Local Warming Disaster where I put a starter tray with dome on out in full sun. Many the late superhot died in the carnage, but not the little BJ. THEN the Third Horseman, the Cat of Famine, came grazing in the pepper pasture and ate IB. I pried the pathetic little stem - now nearly rootless - from between the teeth of Minnie the Hell Cat and plopped it back in the cell.

Six months later, slightly delayed, Immortal Beloved was one of my more productive, phenotypically correct, BJs. Yet the plant, mortal as all in the end, could not survive the Horseman of Ice, and perished during the great Deep South migration in the winter of 2013-14.

The Third Horsecat yet survives. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Get the feeling I have too much time on my hands?

Ann123 · February 21, 2017

Maybe too much time, but also too much fun. Great reading.

February 20, 2017	#46
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	As I've said, stems without cotyledons can produce true leaves and go on to flourish. Let me cite the case of Immortal Beloved, my first named plant - a Bhut Jolokia. (Don't try this at home! Naming a plant is a dangerous thing and may lead to madness and divorce.) As a tiny child, Immortal Beloved developed near-terminal helmet head so no cotyledons. But it had a turgid green stem so I left it, curious. Shortly it became one of the few seedlings to survive The Great Local Warming Disaster where I put a starter tray with dome on out in full sun. Many the late superhot died in the carnage, but not the little BJ. THEN the Third Horseman, the Cat of Famine, came grazing in the pepper pasture and ate IB. I pried the pathetic little stem - now nearly rootless - from between the teeth of Minnie the Hell Cat and plopped it back in the cell. Six months later, slightly delayed, Immortal Beloved was one of my more productive, phenotypically correct, BJs. Yet the plant, mortal as all in the end, could not survive the Horseman of Ice, and perished during the great Deep South migration in the winter of 2013-14. The Third Horsecat yet survives. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Get the feeling I have too much time on my hands? __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

February 21, 2017	#47
Ann123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Belgium Posts: 240	Maybe too much time, but also too much fun. Great reading.