On Mon, 3 Jan 2011 11:21:44 -0000, "Joan Edington"
wrote:

We were on holiday in the Costa Blanca region of Spain this Christmas and
came across a strange plant. It had tough green pods about 4 inches in
length and roughly the shape of a pepper, at the end of long vine-like
branches. The leaves were arrow-head shapes and a bit shorter. Since there
were no flowers at this time of year I haven't been able to identify the
plant from any of my sources. Has someone out there any idea what these are,
please? I'd love to know what they may look like in spring or summer. I've
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this group. If not, I
apologise.
Thanks and a happy new year,
Joan


I think it's what we used to call a "choko" in Aus. "Cho-cho" in
India, "chayote" and "christophene" elsewhere. If that's what it is,
it's very bland: peel, remove big seed in the middle, then treat like
its relative the vegetable marrow, though I imagine there are better
recipes from India.

--
Mike.

In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:
I've
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this
group. If not, I apologise.

Hmm. Only a couple of days since the 'charter' was sent out
for:- Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening outlining what to do
about pictures

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak

In article , JTM
wrote:
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this
group. If not, I apologise.

Hmm. Only a couple of days since the 'charter' was sent
out for:- Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening outlining what to
do about pictures
If you want a pic post one on your website or on eg.tinypic
or photobucket

On Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:13:29 +0000 (GMT), JTM
wrote:

In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:
I've
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this
group. If not, I apologise.

Hmm. Only a couple of days since the 'charter' was sent out
for:- Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening outlining what to do
about pictures

I wonder if the charter says anything about bearing false witness as
to the messages of fellow-posters...but there's something about it in
the book of Exodus, I imagine.

Meanwhile, it wouldn't hurt to temper your wind to the shorn lamb: the
OP's new here.

--
Mike.

If you could post your pic on a site where pictures are allowed (eg Flickr) and post a url here, it would be very useful.

I feel dubious about the chayote id, as googling doesn't show up any suggestion that it'd be growing in Europe..

I apologise for getting it wrong as usual. I've never tried using a picture
before, only logged onto the newsgroup today after a Christmas holiday and
so missed the charter instructions. I don't have a web site so I've posted
the image at the URL below. At least I hope I've done it right.

http://s1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/jedi444/

PS Sorry JTM, I got even more wrong by replying to you previously and not
the group.

"JTM" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:
I've
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this
group. If not, I apologise.

Hmm. Only a couple of days since the 'charter' was sent out
for:- Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening outlining what to do
about pictures

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright
until you hear them speak

Thanks Mike. I went puce with embarrassment when I got JTM's reply. Loved
your post though. I'd never heard the saying about the shorn lamb before it
came up in a book I was reading over Christmas. It's become a bit of a joke
between me and mine since.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:13:29 +0000 (GMT), JTM
wrote:

In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:
I've
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this
group. If not, I apologise.

Hmm. Only a couple of days since the 'charter' was sent out
for:- Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening outlining what to do
about pictures

I wonder if the charter says anything about bearing false witness as
to the messages of fellow-posters...but there's something about it in
the book of Exodus, I imagine.

Meanwhile, it wouldn't hurt to temper your wind to the shorn lamb: the
OP's new here.

--
Mike.

Thanks Sacha, the pod certainly looks the same but the leaves are rather
different. Since it was growing wild I don't think I'll try the recipe,
though!!

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-01-03 17:37:01 +0000, Mike Lyle said:

On Mon, 3 Jan 2011 11:21:44 -0000, "Joan Edington"
wrote:

We were on holiday in the Costa Blanca region of Spain this Christmas
and
came across a strange plant. It had tough green pods about 4 inches in
length and roughly the shape of a pepper, at the end of long vine-like
branches. The leaves were arrow-head shapes and a bit shorter. Since
there
were no flowers at this time of year I haven't been able to identify the
plant from any of my sources. Has someone out there any idea what these
are,
please? I'd love to know what they may look like in spring or summer.
I've
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this group. If not, I
apologise.
Thanks and a happy new year,
Joan


I think it's what we used to call a "choko" in Aus. "Cho-cho" in
India, "chayote" and "christophene" elsewhere. If that's what it is,
it's very bland: peel, remove big seed in the middle, then treat like
its relative the vegetable marrow, though I imagine there are better
recipes from India.

I've never heard of it before but found this on Googling:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/fr...phinewit_89119
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

That's good! - anybody who knows the plant ought to be able to id it from that.

The fruit does look like chayote, but the leaves are wrong - I think they should be more like a french bean.

Usual arrow-leaved creepers in that area are various Aristolochias, but that's just a wild guess. I don't think that the leaves are right, or the fruit!

In article ,
says...
I apologise for getting it wrong as usual. I've never tried using a picture
before, only logged onto the newsgroup today after a Christmas holiday and
so missed the charter instructions. I don't have a web site so I've posted
the image at the URL below. At least I hope I've done it right.

http://s1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/jedi444/

PS Sorry JTM, I got even more wrong by replying to you previously and not
the group.

"JTM" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:
I've
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this
group. If not, I apologise.

Hmm. Only a couple of days since the 'charter' was sent out
for:- Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening outlining what to do
about pictures

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright
until you hear them speak



Joan, the plant is Aruajia sericefera, it is an evergreen climber in the
milkweed family and those fruits contain many silky seeds. Flowers are in
late summer and about 1" across pink and white with a good scent.
Can be damaged outside in the UK so needs protecting.
(Oh and the whole plant is toxic!)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-01-04 12:51:07 +0000, "Joan Edington"
said:

Thanks Sacha, the pod certainly looks the same but the leaves are rather
different. Since it was growing wild I don't think I'll try the recipe,
though!!
snip

You might try asking on a food/cooking group, perhaps. There is a uk one
but it might not help any more than urg can. If there's a group that
discusses Spanish cooking, you might get some help there.
--
Sacha

Its not edible, its Aruajia sericefera one of the climbing milkweeds, I am
sure Ray has it somewhere!
Most of us that grow it remove the pods or it seeds everywhere


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Many thanks, Charlie. I would never have found that in a million years. It's
good to know it's such a pretty flower and available in the UK. I don't
think one would have a hope of surviving in my part of Scotland, though. I
could almost be tempted back to the costa Brava in summer to see it, or
maybe not :-)

Joan

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...
I apologise for getting it wrong as usual. I've never tried using a
picture
before, only logged onto the newsgroup today after a Christmas holiday
and
so missed the charter instructions. I don't have a web site so I've
posted
the image at the URL below. At least I hope I've done it right.

http://s1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff459/jedi444/

PS Sorry JTM, I got even more wrong by replying to you previously and not
the group.

"JTM" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:
I've
attached a small photo, hoping that's allowed on this
group. If not, I apologise.

Hmm. Only a couple of days since the 'charter' was sent out
for:- Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening outlining what to do
about pictures

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright
until you hear them speak



Joan, the plant is Aruajia sericefera, it is an evergreen climber in the
milkweed family and those fruits contain many silky seeds. Flowers are in
late summer and about 1" across pink and white with a good scent.
Can be damaged outside in the UK so needs protecting.
(Oh and the whole plant is toxic!)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

In article ,
says...

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-01-04 12:51:07 +0000, "Joan Edington"
said:

Thanks Sacha, the pod certainly looks the same but the leaves are rather
different. Since it was growing wild I don't think I'll try the recipe,
though!!
snip

You might try asking on a food/cooking group, perhaps. There is a uk one
but it might not help any more than urg can. If there's a group that
discusses Spanish cooking, you might get some help there.
--
Sacha

Its not edible, its Aruajia sericefera one of the climbing milkweeds, I am
sure Ray has it somewhere!
Most of us that grow it remove the pods or it seeds everywhere



Sorry Sacha , i have just deleated your post while trying to do a snip!

Yes I have it, I don't think I could get rid of it from my greenhouse it
comes up everywhere, but I agree its a lovely evergreen scented climber
which I used to be able to grow happily outside on a wall - not any more,
the last two winters have seen it off!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On Thu, 6 Jan 2011 13:02:55 -0000, "Joan Edington"
wrote:

Many thanks, Charlie. I would never have found that in a million years. It's
good to know it's such a pretty flower and available in the UK. I don't
think one would have a hope of surviving in my part of Scotland, though. I
could almost be tempted back to the costa Brava in summer to see it, or
maybe not :-)

[...]

Charlie had written:
Joan, the plant is Aruajia sericefera, it is an evergreen climber in the
milkweed family and those fruits contain many silky seeds. Flowers are in
late summer and about 1" across pink and white with a good scent.
Can be damaged outside in the UK so needs protecting.
(Oh and the whole plant is toxic!)

Thanks for the education. I hope nobody's eaten it on the strenmgth
of my suggestion!

--
Mike.

Do you mean that the Hillhouse Nursery has these plants? If so, what name
would they be under, in case I wanted to try my best with one.

Hopefully, Joan

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-01-05 19:27:56 +0000, "Charlie Pridham"
said:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-01-04 12:51:07 +0000, "Joan Edington"
said:

Thanks Sacha, the pod certainly looks the same but the leaves are
rather
different. Since it was growing wild I don't think I'll try the recipe,
though!!
snip

You might try asking on a food/cooking group, perhaps. There is a uk
one but it might not help any more than urg can. If there's a group
that discusses Spanish cooking, you might get some help there.
--
Sacha

Its not edible, its Aruajia sericefera one of the climbing milkweeds, I
am sure Ray has it somewhere!
Most of us that grow it remove the pods or it seeds everywhere

We do have it and I didn't recognise the photo at all, have never even
thouht of eating it and hadn't heard of that name for it! It's in the big
double, I think. It's the one that catches moths by their tongues and
then lets them go a few hours later. It's a really beautiful thing, imo.
If he has a spare, do you want it or do you have it already?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon