Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Flowering Capsicum pubescens Cabe Gendot Dieng

My Capsicum pubescens plants have finally flowered. The flowers are a lovely purple colour, and together with the black/brown seeds, are diagnostic characteristics of this species. These plants are from seeds saved from this post Interesting Fruits from Dieng Plateau.
Capsicum pubescens 'Dieng' flower
An eight-petaled flower of Capsicum pubescens 'Cabe Gendot Dieng'.
Capsicum pubescens 'Dieng'
The stems of Capsicum pubescens are hairy and so are the buds.

Hopefully the flower can set fruit but I am not putting much hope since the weather is getting quite warm during the day. By the way, they are called Cabe Gendot by the locals i.e. fat/plump chilli as the fruits are plump (err fat) and short, unlike the thin and short Capsicum fructescens or the long Capsicum annuum. The name is also used for Capsicum chinense in Indonesia.
Capsicum pubescens 'Dieng'
The half open bud. Flowers emerge singly or in doubles. Some of the double buds end up with one of them being aborted.
Capsicum pubescens 'Dieng'
Some of the plants do not colour up with purple internodes or purplish stems but remains all green.