This is the plant I grew from seed given to me by a plot holder from Mauritius. He
said it was Karella, but the leaves were like Sicilian Snakes so that's what I thought
I was growing.
However, when I looked at the fruit it definitely isn't Sicilian Snake, unless there is
a warty variety. The flowers are white, like SS and the leaves are soft but the fruit
is like Karella in that it is warty/spikey. The plot holder doesn't recognise it either.
Has anyone come across this before?
(//)
Looks like karella, but perhaps a variety that's new to us? How much do they vary?
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on August 27, 2013, 19:14:03
Looks like karella, but perhaps a variety that's new to us? How much do they vary?
Do you mean in size Robert? The one I'm holding is the biggest so far, but
there are lots of smaller ones.
If you google images bitter gourd, they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You see them in the Asian supermarkets some are much more warty than others. They are sold in a variety of sizes too.
I imagine it's a Karella that has cross pollinated parents.
I'd go with a bitter gourd cross, or possibly (if that's genetically unlikely) then maybe Marina di Choggia would explain the skin....