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Old 23-06-2018, 07:54 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Jeff Layman[_2_] Jeff Layman[_2_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,166
Default Cucumber distortion

On 23/06/18 18:28, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Has anyone seen anything like this, NOT from hormone weedkiller.
Two out of three plants developed this way, but side shoots seem to
be normal. I have used no weedkiller near them, and suspect something
weather-related.

This isn't the first time I have seen this on cucurbits, and it seems
to be highly correlated with the source of the seed. I suspect a virus
in the parent plant, as it has happened to saved seed as well, but why
have they then seemed to recover.

http://imgur.com/kTRrnx3.jpg
http://imgur.com/OsYRN8s.jpg


Isn't this just fasciation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasciation)?
I've only seen it on cacti and ferns (and of course, Celosia "cristata"
- more accurately Celosia argentea var. cristata). I see no reason why
it shouldn't occur on cucurbits, as the Wiki article shows it on several
different plants. In fact, ref 8 in the Wiki article (Swift, Curtis E.
(April 12, 1999). "Fasciation: Fascinating distortions of the plant
world".) ends with a reference list, one ref of which is "Gabillard, D.
& Pitrat, M. 1988. A fasciated mutant in Cucumis melo. Rpt. Cucurbit
Genet. Coop. 11:37-38.", so fasciation in cucurbits is not unknown.

Can viruses to be transmitted through seed? I thought that was how
breeders got away from strains of plants with viral problems, BICBW.

--

Jeff