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shermthewerm

weird little tomato

shermthewerm
9 years ago

Never seen anything quite like this. I've had my share of cat-faced tomatoes and fused tomatoes, but this one is new to me. We counted 13 "baby tomatoes". Unfortunately I don't know the variety (I started all of my plants from seed this year, & despite my marking them--with Sharpie, big mistake I now know--I don't know which one this).

Comments (5)

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    I'm not sure what you are showing us, Yes, I think I can see 5 sepals, but have problems understanding what might be under those baby tomatoes,

    I know of one variety where many small tomatoes are fused to the surface of a larger fruit, that one is called Reisetomate and I've linked to a picture below. But notice that all the fused fruits are irregular and yes, I've grown it.

    Since you don't show a picture with the leaves, could you please do that, there's an outside chance that it could be a pepper variety called Joe's Round which has a lovely cluster of round red fruits

    http://www.seedsavers.org/onlinestore/pepper/Pepper-Joes-Round.html

    If you Google it you'll find several places that sell seeds, and as the blurb notes, I was the original person to offer this variety, The other one I got from Joe is called something like Joe's Long Cayenne and many places offer that one as well.

    Both are quite hot.

    https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=joe's+long+cayenne

    I think it would really help to see pictures of the plant in question, and most importantly the leaves.

    The last outside chance is a mutation, But you should at least have some record of what seeds you bought for this season, even if there was a labelling problem as set out.

    Lastly, did you have just one plant of what you show?

    Carolyn

    Here is a link that might be useful: Reisetomate

  • shermthewerm
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the information & the link. I did take notes of what I planted, and I did plant one labeled "Reisentraube" which I received from WinterSown. I thought it was a cherry tomato, not what you're describing (didn't do my homework). The leaves on the plant are regular, and I only had this one fruit, which I unfortunately picked because I thought it was a mutant! Live & learn I guess.
    It will make for an interesting tomato then. The pepper plant sounds like something I'd like to try also. Thanks for your help, Carolyn. At least now I won't be plucking every fruit as they develop.

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    Riesentraube. note the spelling, is a completely different variety from Reisetomate, note the spelling, and I'll link to Riesentraube below.

    The blossom stalks have up to several hundred blossoms but usually only 50-70 set fruits. Those blossom stalks are so beautiful that just one makes a lovely spray of flowers in a vase.

    We know it by its name in German but was grown in many countries in Western Euope and in one country it was called goat's t*t b'c of the small nipple at the base of each fruit. Lots more history with this one but what you show is not Reisentraube, whichI 've also grown.

    Trudi gets seeds donated to her and she makes clear that she takes no responsibility for wrong varieties and it's very possible that whoever donated the seeds got the two varieties confused since the spellings are so similar.

    So any more pictures you might have of it in the future might be helpful in confirming what you might have is Reisetomate and not Riesentraube.

    Hope that helps,

    Carolyn

    Here is a link that might be useful: Riesentraube

  • shermthewerm
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ok. I just checked the actual seed pack that I have and it is marked "Riesentomate", even though I'd written Riesentraube in my gardening journal. Somehow I thought I'd requested the other. And I normally pay very close attention to spelling (French Lit/Language major). While I was researching all of my new seed varieties I must've confused the 2--maybe someone who packaged the seeds might've also (with the I before e)? Regardless, I'm still happy to know that I didn't have a mutant tomato, and I'm always happy to try a new variety--I have many many on my list to try.
    Beth, who is very thankful for the seeds WinterSown sent her, and who is also thinking of starting to save seeds herself.

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    Yes, the spelling on the pack is wrong for Reisetomate, but the description is almost correct,But look at the link I gave you for this variety and you'll see that the fruits, not grape shaped, various shapes, actually, are fused to a much larger tomato beneath them.

    Hope that helps,

    Carolyn, and that's Trudi's packs, not packs sent to her, so she usually has to repack seeds sent to her to put in her packs. Wherever the spelling error occurred, I think you are on the right track now..