#oroxylum indicum

I know I've been posting a large amount about beans lately, but this is only because there has been a multitude of things going on with them! As the above image shows, the Calypso beans have begun to emerge. I find it interesting that the cotyledons, or seed leaves, are additionally accompanied by the plant's first true leaves in the case of the bean; this isn't true for many other seeds. Here in a couple days, the cotyledons, visible as the thick lighter-green fleshy lobes, will shrivel up and fall off the plant, having sustained it long enough to allow it to start photosynthesis. As you can see in the photo, three have emerged already (EDIT: Actually, there are four; the fourth is in the middle of the rear box); I anticipate two more in the next day or so, with the final one, having been re-planted due to yesterday's chipmunk escapades, emerging next week sometime.

I've additionally been readying a new seed-starting tray for new seeds. This tray will have a heat mat situated beneath it to assist in the germination process of some of the seeds I have planned; it should greatly expedite and improve the overall germination. Following is a list of what all will be planted in the next few days:

Capsicum chinense, cv. 'Trinidad Moruga Scorpion': These are presently the hottest peppers on the planet. While Bhut Jolokias are the hottest readily-available pepper on the market, these doozies can get almost twice as hot, up to two million SHU. They're easier to grow by far, but because of this they are much, much more difficult to cultivate with appreciable heat; while their peak is something to strive for, they're also capable of being as "mild" as 500,000 SHU.

Capsicum chinense X Capsicum frutescens, cv. 'Bhut Jolokia': The famed Bhut Jolokia pepper. This was, from 2007 to 2011, rated as the world's hottest pepper, capable of producing a spice in excess of one million SHU (Scoville Heat Units; for reference, Tabasco sauce is around 2500-5000 SHU). Southern New Mexico, as it so happens, happens to be one of the best places for growing this strain to its hottest. Mostly, I'm growing these for fun; I will almost certainly never eat one. I might try to see just how hot I can get them, though.

Michelia champaca (Champaca Perfume Tree): This tree is native to the jungles of eastern India and southeastern Tibet; its flowers produce an exceptionally fragrant oil that is used in a large percentage of modern perfumes, most notably JOY by Jean Patou, and J'Adore, by Christian Dior. When in bloom, it can be smelled for hundreds of feet.

Oroxylum indicum (Midnight Horror): With a host of unusual nicknames, including the Broken Bones Tree and the Tree of Damocles, it would appear this tree struck every innate British fear when they found it on the Indian subcontinent. Often growing to towering stature in the wild, they truly are a sight to behold. At night, it is said the leaves resemble a perched vulture. Often, the plant will drop its branches around itself, making a pile of wood that is purported to resemble broken bones. Its seed pods, massive sheathes four feet in length, resemble hanging swords.

Solanum mammosum (Nipple Fruit): A distant relative of the tomato, this plant is relatively easy to cultivate (though the fruit and indeed the entire plant are quite toxic). As the colloquial name suggests (and its other colloquial names, the Titty Fruit and the Cow's Udder), the fruit of this plant is quite oddly-shaped --- where it attaches to the plant, it resembles a human breast, while at the bottom of the fruit, it looks like an udder. The fruit itself is a golden-yellow in color.

Trachycarpus takil (Kumaon Palm): A fan palm that grows natively at this altitude in the Himalayas. The most cold-resistant palm that grows a trunk, I could literally leave this plant outdoors for the winter and only expect defoliation. (Though I will probably bring it indoors, as it does not have a need for cold cycles.)