Mystery Pepper - Multiple Blooms per Node

DontPanic · Aug 4, 2018

I'm growing out some mystery pepper seedlings I received.

They were thought to be some kind of Jalapeño, but the original grower had lost track of exactly where these seed came from.

I'm a sucker for mystery peppers, so I couldn't resist asking for some of these.

I got a late start on these seedling so they're just now putting out blooms.

Does it mean anything when you get two to three blooms per node?

I've run across a few posts on THP that suggest this can be important in generally identifying the pepper, but I can't recall the details.

Here's a picture. Every node I could see had several blooms.

The_NorthEast_ChileMan · Aug 4, 2018

Multiple fruit per node, plus those giant leafs, indicates C. chinense species.

DontPanic · Aug 4, 2018

The_NorthEast_ChileMan said:
Multiple fruit per node, plus those giant leafs, indicates C. chinense species.

Thanks!

It's healthy and starting to put out a lot of blooms, so in a few weeks, I should have some actual peppers to look at.

The_NorthEast_ChileMan · Aug 5, 2018

DontPanic said:
Thanks!

It's healthy and starting to put out a lot of blooms, so in a few weeks, I should have some actual peppers to look at.

You're welcome.

After pods form, look for constricted Calyx, as this is another indicator of C. chinense. The pic below is a very good example and other peppers may not be as exaggerated as this one, a Trinidad Scorpion - Cardi cross (Sorry no seeds!).

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DontPanic · Aug 5, 2018

Thanks for the tips on identifying the species.

I'll have a look at my other Chinense and Annuum, and see if I can pick up on the differences in the Calyx.

Ibeyoda · Aug 7, 2018

Are they the same? the ones in the bottom pic look like they are getting some of those o'my god heat bumps. they look HOT

DontPanic · Aug 8, 2018

Ibeyoda said:
Are they the same? the ones in the bottom pic look like they are getting some of those o'my god heat bumps. they look HOT

Nope. Not the same type of pepper (as far as I know).

The_NorthEast_ChiliMan was showing an example of the Caylx of a Chinense, highlighting the distinction from an annuum.

My mystery plant hasn't gotten as far as producing pods yet, but I think it will be soon.

I'll post an update if/when I get some peppers far enough along to give more information about the origin of this plant.

DontPanic · Sep 20, 2018

I caught up with the person who sent me these seedlings, and they think they came from a habanero variety pack of seeds.

They taste very much like a habanero pepper, and seem to have heat in the habanero range.

One plant is ripening into a creme color, and the other plant is ripening into an orange color.

The calyx seems to have a distinctive constriction.

All in all, this is at least as good as a mystery Jalapeño.