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Seeds from tomato breeder Gary Cass. Godzilla is a most interesting heirloom tomato variety from Germany and Austria. Plant produces an abundance of fruit, red cherry tomatoes, fused together into one large bunch, the result of a condition known in botany as 'fasciation'. Fasciation can be caused by hormonal imbalances, bacterial, fungi and viral infections, insect attack, chemicals and environmental conditions. Fasciation can also be caused by random genetic mutation. However, with Godzilla, it is inherited.
(According to Cass, "Fasciation, a relatively rare condition of abnormal growth in plants, is characterized by an increase in weight and volume of plant tissue and by lack of organized regularity in growth, as contrasted with the normal individuals of the same variety or species. As a result, the normal growing point ceases to be a point, but expands into a comb-like structure. In tomatoes this can be expressed by an increased number of locules, flattened fruit, fused stems, and fruit fused together into one large mass. In the case of Godzilla, it is the fused fruit that is so rare and unusual. The only other tomato with fused fruit is the closely related Reisetomate. Reisetomate is very similar, different in only a couple minor characteristics. Godzilla produces good tasting tomatoes, while Reisetomate flavor is 'sour', and the individual cherries in Godzilla's clusters all ripen at about the same time, where the individual cherries in Reisetomate's clusters will have individual cherries in different states of ripeness."
"Seedlings of Godzilla start off as normal tomato seedlings, then about the time the plant begins to flower, the plant's stems begin to change, going from single round stems to multiple fused stems that are flat and ribbon-like. As soon as the fruit is visible, you can see that it is a joined collection of tiny tomatoes. Another odd thing that happens with Godzilla is that a large number of new stems emerge from the soil at the base of the plant.
On a historical note, legend has it that natives from Mexico, and maybe Guatemala and Peru, took these clustered individual tomatoes along on trips because they could be plucked off and eaten one at a time without disturbing the rest."
Growers of this unique variety, with its abundance of good flavors and unusual visual appeal, will be assured of attracting considerable attention and comments. TomatoFest is currently the only supplier of this seed.
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