In article ,
Pam Moore wrote:
On Tue, 2 Nov 2004 19:11:38 +0000, Alan Gould
wrote:

A friend in Worcs. sent me two seed pod heads of a plant he wishes to
identify. The plant grows among crops at a farm near to Evesham. He says
it has a yellow flower a bit like that of a cucumber and it grows to
about 2 ft. tall. The farmer says that it has appeared annually 'since
his father's day' and he thinks it may be a relic from a latterday crop.
The heads are oval rugby ball shaped, about 5cm./2ins. tall x 3cm./1.25
ins. dia. The shell resembles that of a young horse-chestnut, softish
mid-green pith lined flesh, very spiky and in four lateral segments.
Inside the shell are hundreds of tiny 3mm./0.15ins. dia. smartie shaped
seeds similar in colour and texture to that of chestnuts. The heads have
grown on stiff 0.6cm./0.25ins. dia. hollow fibrous stems. Leaf material
on the stems was too deteriorated to provide any detail.

Thorn apple?

That would be my bet. As far as I know, it has never been grown
commercially, not even for rat poison.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.