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Four stigma on some Tomato flowers as opposed to one?

young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
edited June 2021 in Plants
Is this normal on Tomato plants? Or maybe it only occurs with certain varieties of Toms?

I've not seen this until now. Is it  a good thing, possibly leading to greater amounts of tomatoes produced, and why is it only on some flowers?
 

Posts

  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    edited June 2021
    Here is one of the flowers with just one stigma. I wonder why they vary.


  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    Probably an example of fasciation. You will possibly get a larger deformed fruit from that flower which will still be edible if ugly.
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    edited June 2021
    Amongst the plants I have, there are  a few flowers with multiple a stigma. They are all Black Crim.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Certain varieties (particularly 'beefsteak' types) can produce a large 'cristate' flower (sometimes called a 'king flower') which is a form of fasciation and is thought to be a genetic mutation.  The resulting fruit is usually larger and deformed, but perfectly good to eat.  I leave them on the plants but some remove them.  I've never seen more than one on a plant though.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543

    That is what I am finding too Bob, no more than one on a plant.  So far 3 out of 10 of the plants have a king flower.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I've always found that beefsteak tomato plants have fewer tomatoes,  and the two plants that had fascinated flowers, which produced huge mis-shaped fruit had fewer still.
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