64th Street Specialties

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Chile Cultivars of New Mexico State University Released from 1913 to 2008


NuMex Twilight

This ornamental chile has fruit color that ripens from purple to yellow to orange and lastly red (Bosland & Iglesias, 1994). The various fruit colors enhance the cultivar’s value as commercial greenhouse potted plants, and ‘NuMex Twilight’ is well accepted by the potted plant industry. Unlike standard chile cultivars that have a dichotomous growth pattern, the polychotomous branching of the basal branches makes these ideal for container production. These semi-compact plants were developed for growing in small containers, but are suitable for cultivation in a formal garden bed. ‘NuMex Twilight’ has a white flower and green leaves, as compared to the purple flower and purple foliage of ‘NuMex Centennial.’ Also, the yellow fruit color stage is more pronounced in ‘NuMex Twilight.’ This cultivar has erect flower pedicels at anthesis, and fruits are upright and smooth with a cup-shaped calyx. Flowers begin to open at 120 days after sowing, and fruits mature to red in an additional 96 days. The plants grow erect and have stems with no pubescence. Leaf texture is smooth. Heat level and flavor were not evaluated. Seed of ‘NuMex Twilight’ was originally from Jalisco, Mexico, and the cultivar was derived from selection within the original population. ‘NuMex Centennial’ and ‘NuMex Twilight’ have been grown commercially in New Mexico as potted plants. Greenhouse growers have noted that, along with the polychotomous growth habit, the four stages of fruit color serve as important marketing traits. ‘NuMex Twilight’ also has become an important source of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) resistance for plant breeders.



 








 

 

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