Karen Dusenbery calls the strange plant a cuculoupe. In fact, about a half dozen of the odd plants grew between the cucumbers and the cantaloupes in a Houma home garden. The fruit are about a yard long and a few inches across. The skin on the fruit feels waxy, rather like that of a cucumber. But, the coloring is yellow and the fruits are ridged, like a canteloupe. LSU AgCenter agent Barton Joffrion stated that sometimes science can be strange and such hybrids happen. He explained that what happened is the cucumbers and the canteloupes were planted closely together. Interestingly, cantaloupe and cucumber are in the same family. Both are members of the Cucurbit family. Pumpkins, gourds and melons are also a part of this family.
He noted that it is uncommon for plants to swap genes like has occured here. He further indicated that in the first generation, they will cross genes, resulting in the interesting fruit in this case. Karen Dusenbery and her husband, Tim, said that they are saving the seeds from their cuculoupe. Joffrion noted that in most instances a crossbred plant will revert back to its original form in subsequent generations. Thus, he said it would be interesting to see what the seeds do bear in the future. |
