Strange C. lanceolatum behavior

[JohnF]

I grew this plant last year and it blossomed profusely without setting a single pod. Overwintered and began to blossom, again without setting fruit. I tried transferring pollen from flower to flower with a paint brush ( which I had also done last year) and finally got a single pod. I gave up a few weeks ago and left the plant alone. I now notice it has a bunch of pods, all on it's own and continues to bloom



A further note on this difficult plant.
A friend sent me seeds he had saved and I tried to germinate them to have a second plant ( hoping this might aid germination) but none of the seeds germinated. He tried them and they didn't germinate for him or another friend either. So, it will be interesting to see if these produce viable seeds.

[Aji Inferno]

Wonder if it's self-compatible at all...

[JohnF]

I have the same question about self-compatibility. Time will tell. I have had similar problems with the cardenasii known as Ulupica.

[JohnF]

More strangeness. This plant has always been sprawling rather than upright but now it has decided to shoot upward.

[Aji Inferno]

More strangeness. This plant has always been sprawling rather than upright but now it has decided to shoot upward.

My c.tovari behaves the same way...

[JohnF]

Finally germination. I planted 4 seeds from the C. lanceolatum on 3/24/07 and had thought that they were not going to germinate. This morning, 4/18 , I looked at the tray and 3 seeds have germinated! I don't know if it is significant that the tray was off the heat mat for the past week because I needed it to germinate other seeds.

[JohnF]

Continues to shoot upward. It is now 36 inches tall!

[Aji Inferno]

Some wild capsicums (like c.annuum var. glabriusculum and most Brazilean ultra-rare species) tend to grow big, even beyond 4 meters (12 ft) tall. With Lanceolatum, we're on unknown terrain. So, all the information will be useful!

[JohnF]

Continues to grow and I'm just now working it outside. Curious how big it will get. Now 45" tall, not counting the pot.

[JohnF]

It continues to grow( that is a yard stick in the pot { about  a meter}and is again blooming without setting pods. A strange plant.

[tknummelin]

again blooming without setting pods.

How well the lanceolatum cuttings usually root, meaning that would there be any hope to keep the plant alive that way, if it won't make pods?

Or are you into cuttings at all?

[JohnF]

I have done cuttings of some other peppers with success but haven't tried this one. The plant did produce pods at one point--read back in the thread.

[Aji Inferno]

Kind of funny growing habit - not like a tree at all, unlike e.g. c.flexuosum...

[JohnF]

It is a funny growing habit. For a long time it was just a sprawling plant and then suddenly shot upward. Initially the upward branches even looked different than the rest of the plant.