acre) of green pods vs. 3.72 MT/ha for medium and 3.19 quires short daylength for blooming. Thus, growers using MT/ha for small size seeds. larger seeds could delay direct seeding or setting plants in The interaction of fertilizer levels and seed size in the field by approximately 1 week, since plants from large fluenced the cumulative percent of pods harvested during seeds would develop more rapidly and would have a higher the first 30 days (Table 3). At the lx fertilizer level, plants early yield than plants grown from medium and small size from medium size seeds had a higher cumulative yield than seeds, especially with increasing fertilizer levels. Green plants from small and large seeds. With increasing fertilizer pod yields in these experiments were below those reported levels, the cumulative percent of pods harvested from large earlier (4). The reason for the lower yield was the shorter seeds also increased compared to small and medium size growing season in the fall of 1980. During the last week seeds. At the 2x fertilizer level, plants from large seeds had of November, minimum temperatures were below 10°C 79% cumulative green pod yield vs 60% for medium and (50°F) which reduced blooming and pod development. 56% for small seeds. After December 12, minimum temperatures for 3 consecu tive days were around 5-6°C (41-43°F) which killed the Table 3. Influence of fertilizer level and seed size on cumulative per cent of green pods harvested from 'TPt-1' winged bean plants. flowers on all of the plants and no more blooming was ob Fall 1980. served for the remainder of the season. Growers in west central Florida therefore cannot expect a long growing season for winged beans where temperatures often fall 6°C Total harvested at period ending* Fertilizer level2 Seed size}' Nov. 14 Nov. 30 Dec. 12 or below in early December, especially in the interior areas. Literature Cited lx Small 19 67 100 Medium 28 78 100 1. Alam, Z. and S. J. Locascio. 1965. Effect of seed size and depth Large 15 61 100 of planting on broccoli and beans. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 78: 1.5x Small 21 64 100 107-112. Medium 17 65 100 2. Cameron, J. W., A. Van Maren, and D. A. Cole, Jr. 1962. Seed size Large 19 72 100 in relation to plant growth and time of ear maturity of hybrid 2x Small 9 56 100 sweet corn in a winter planting area. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Medium 10 60 100 80:481-484. Large 22 79 100 3. Csizinsky, A. A. 1980. Methods of increasing seed germination of LSD 0.10 NS 8.0 winged bean, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) D.C. HortScience 15:252. elx = 40 N, 40 P2O5, and 40 K2O kg/ha. 4. 1981. Performance of two winged bean accessions in ySmall: 6.85-7.80; medium: 7.80-8.50; and large >8.50 mm diam. Florida. HortScience 16:52-63. xFirst harvest date was on October 31. 5. Hatridge-Esh, K. A., and J. P. Bennett. 1980. Effects of seed weight, plant density and spacing on yield responses of onion. T. Hort. Sci. Elemental concentration in leaves and stems was not 55:247-252. affected by fertilizer levels or seed size. The. mean con 6. Hoagland, D. R., and D. I. Arnon. 1938. The water culture method for growing plants without soil. Univ. Calif. Aerr. Exp. Sta. Circ. centration of N, P, K, Ca and Mg on dry weight basis was 347:1-32. 3.45, 0.25, 1.53, 1.40 and 0.46%, respectively. 7. Smith, O. E., N. C. Welch, and T. M. Little. 1973. Studies on lettuce Seedling growth and green pod yields increased with seed quality. I. Effect of seed size and weight on vigor. J. Amer increasing seed size. Similar increase in seedling growth Soc. Hort. Sci. 98:529-533. with large size seeds was reported for broccoli, beans (1, 9), 8. , , and O. D. McCoy. 1973. Studies on lettuce seed quality. II. Relationship of seed vigor to emergence, seedling lima beans (10), sweet corn (2), and lettuce (7, 8). Seedlings weight, and yield. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 98:552-556. of the accession 'TPt-T from large seeds had a more vigorous 9. Tompkins, D. R. 1966. Broccoli maturity and production as in growth in the seedling stage and a higher yield than plants fluenced by seed size. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 88:400-405. from medium and small size seeds. Plants from larger seeds 10. Wester, R. E. 1964. Effect of size of seed pod on plant growth and yield of Fordhook 242 bush lima bean. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. did not have an earlier blooming date since the 'TPt-T re Sci. 84:327-331. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 94:240-245. 1981. THE CHAYOTE, A PERENNIAL, CLIMBING, SUBTROPICAL VEGETABLE Julia F. Morton of the U. S. Department of Agriculture to popularize the Morton Collectanea, University of Miami, chayote in North America. Varieties from Costa Rica, the Coral Gables, FL 33124 West Indies and Algiers were grown at the Plant Introduction Garden at Brooksville, Fla. Nevertheless, only a few planters Additional key words. Sechium edule. took up the crop. Except for the enthusiasm of one individual in Lake City, the chayote might have vanished from Florida. Abstract. The chayote (Sechium edule Sw.), native to the For some years, chayotes were imported into the U. S. from highlands of southern Mexico and Central America, was an Cuba—42 tons in 1941. In recent times, the newly aroused important food source in pre-Columbian times as far south "gourmet" appreciation of unusual foods, and the active as Peru and Brazil. It was early introduced into the West demand on the part of Latin American residents of this Indies and later to southern Europe, North Africa and the country, have given the chayote another chance to appeal Old World tropics. In 1886, chayotes grown in the Azores to American farmers. The fruit raised in Florida and Cali were being exported to England. In the early 1920's, the fornia is selling readily. In 1978, 5 acres of chayotes near vine was being planted in the southern United States and Homestead were more profitable to the grower than were in California. There have been several attempts on the part cucumbers or tomatoes. Yields may amount to 50,000 fruits 240 Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 94: 1981. per acre. The chayote is very firm, keeps and ships well. Oversupplies may be kept in cold storage for 6 weeks. The fruit lends itself to preparation in various ways as a vege table or dessert, and the seed may be served as a delicacy. The tuberous root is eaten cooked or is processed for starch. Young shoots and flowers are particularly nutritious and commonly eaten in Central America. Both male and female flowers provide copious nectar and the vine has been rated the best honey plant in the world. The chayote, Sechhim edule Sw., is the sole member of its genus, belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. While the Spanish name, chayote (pronounced shy-oh'-tay) has been widely adopted, other frequently employed vernacular names include chocho (Jamaica), choco (West Indies), choko (Australia, New Zealand), chowchow (India), chote (Cuba), chayotli or chayutli (Mexico), chuchu, machuchu, or xuxu (Brazil), chinta, chintla, or alconchas (Central America), cidrayota, huisquila (Colombia), guisquil, huisquil, chima or perulera (Guatemala), christophine (French West Indies; Trinidad and Tobago), tallon, tallote, or tayote (Puerto Rico), pa taste, patastilla (Honduras), vegetable pear (British West Indies), gayota (Peru), caiota (Portugal), pipinella (Madeira), mirliton or chouchou (Louisiana), mango squash (southern USA), and shosho (Africa). Description Fig. 1. Dark foliage, tendrils and fruits of a bristly, pale-green long-necked chayote well adapted to southern Florida (Photo by The plant is a fast-growing, herbaceous, perennial vine Julia Morton). with tuberous, starchy roots, nearly cylindrical, oval or ir regular, yellowish and fissured externally, whitish and United States Department of Agriculture and private in succulent internally; and climbing, almost hairless, ribbed dividuals to popularize the chayote in North America. Dr. stems bearing coiled, 3- to 5-cleft tendrils. The stems may David Fairchild, the renowned plant explorer, first saw the attain 30 to 50 ft (9 to 15 m) in length in one year. The vine grown by a Frenchman in a suburb of New Orleans in leaves, on petioles H/2 to 6 in (4 to 15 cm) long, vary from 1895. Later he became acquainted with, the fruit in Jamaica 5 to 10 in (12.5 to 25 cm) in length and width; are heart- and in Madeira. His first plantings (2 vines) were on Cat shaped at the base, ovate or triangular, with 2 to 5 pointed Island in the Bahamas and he induced a cucumber grower lobes; leathery, dark-green and rough above, light-green in Jacksonville, Florida, to try the crop, but results were and rough-hairy beneath. Flowers, whitish- or yellowish- not encouraging. Varieties from Costa Rica, Jamaica, green, are small and 5-petaled; the male in racemes, the Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, New Orleans and Algiers were larger female solitary or in pairs; both sexes usually to obtained for experimental planting at the new federal gether in the leaf axils. The fruit is 214 to 8 in (7 to 20 cm) Plant Introduction Garden at Brooksville, Florida. Interest long, up to 5 in (12.5 cm) in width and nearly as thick; was stimulated by Wilson Popenoe's introduction of more or less pear-shaped or rounded; ungrooved or with superior, rounder, smoother types (called "peruleros") from 5 to 10 deep or shallow furrows; always indented, usually 5,000 ft (1,500 m) elevations in Peru.