Re: [CH] Smithsonian article on chiles
Doug Irvine (dougandmarie@shaw.ca)
Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:22:46 -0700
Jonathan Smillie wrote:
> http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/41384227.html
>
> It's not your run-of-the-mill "here's a new hot pepper" article,
> either... the gist of it is a profile of an ecologist who is doing
> research into /why/ chiles are hot (not from a chemical perspective, but
> from the viewpoint of capsaicin as an evolutionary advantage). He's
> investigating the link between the presence of a fungal rot that is very
> closely associated with wild chile plants, and the level of capsaicin in
> the fruit - generally speaking, the more capsaicin the less fungus.
>
> Could our favorite alkaloid be a naturally-selected defense mechanism to
> preserve the fruit by making them unpalatable to natural enemies? And if
> so, what does that say about us?
>
> Jonathan
>
We are all UN natural enemies???
Couldn't resist, Jonathon!
And seeing as I have no idea what to plant this year, I will wait until
I see what is available up here.
Not going to plant 8 different tomatoes, however! On our poor little
deck, and last year I also had 5 pepper plants as well, sorta crowded
out there.
Cheers, the old guy on Vancouver Island, who 2 weeks ago today tripped
on a step stool which should not have been where it was in a Big Store
and ended up landing on the old head, arm & shoulder. 3 stitches, sore
head, headaches still. Awaiting a call from the adjuster to see how much
this is going to cost that Big Store, WM! 83 yr old bones do NOT like
this sorta stuff!