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Identification please - exotic stowaway

5 replies

jazzwink · 28/07/2019 11:28

Can anyone tell me what this plant may be? I wanted to be adventurous and bought a variety of houseplant seeds from China. None of them obviously sprouted (don't know what I was expecting) apart from one that doesn't even remotely resemble any of the plants I ordered. It has been happily growing ever since.
As it's now got these seed pods that are close to ripening, please tell me whether it's harmless or seed of Satan that should be burned....

Identification please - exotic stowaway
Identification please - exotic stowaway
OP posts:
MereDintofPandiculation · 28/07/2019 11:51

Could conceivably be some sort of squash. I wouldn't eat it without a definite id, but I certainly wouldn't get rid - keep growing it, and you might get some very decorative fruits.

NanTheWiser · 28/07/2019 13:05

The Chinese are notorious for selling 'rare' plant seeds, and sending mustard and cress.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/07/2019 19:17

Is importing unspecified seeds legal? Sounds like a terribly bad idea tbh.

jazzwink · 28/07/2019 22:26

@ErrolTheDragon That's why I'm asking - didn't want to unleash some agricultural scourge.

In the meantime, I've used a plant id app that I downloaded some time ago but forgot: Flora Incognita. Absolutely fantastic- all I had to do was to upload 2 photos and it immediately recognised the plant. It's an abutilon theophrasti or velvetleaf. Result!

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 28/07/2019 22:56

Well done! It's a rather gorgeous seedhead, but it looks like you may be right to be cautious - according to wiki it is considered an invasive species in some regions. I don't know whether U.K. conditions would suit it well enough to be a problem here but I'm rather mindful of the issue as a 'balsam basher'!

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abutilon_theophrasti

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