Three cotyledon leaves on my pumpkin?

[Kiwi_Soph]

I think I might be growing a mutant...

I planted two Hooligan mini-pumpkin seeds about ten days ago or so. Both have come up, I'm very happy, only one of them took a while longer to raise its head and when it did it had not two but three cotyledon leaves!

Does this happen? Will it grow ok despite its extra bits?

I have attached a photo of the Mutant on its own and one with his more traditional, two-leaved friend.

[RedThorn]

It should grow fine, it happens occasionally and not just with pumpkins. If you use the search function, I remember a few threads from a couple of years ago on this. I seem to remember they even compared plant growth... Dang memory like a sieve at the moment..sorry

[Kiwi_Soph]

I had a wee search but couldn't narrow the cotyledon results down to show those with three - there are a LOT of threads about the two leafers!

thanks though, that is reassuring. Might do some growth comparing of my own if they both make it

[rustylady]

I don't think it is anything to worry about. Please let us know how it gets on.

[Flummery]

I had several a couple of years back - tomatoes and peppers. I decided to see if they continued to produce extra leaves but they didn't! I did some googling and read that about 1 in 46 seedlings, or something fairly specific like that, produced a tricotyledon. I don't believe this. I've grown a darned sight more than 46 seedlings in my life!

[bronwen]

I had this with lots of the marigold 'naughty marietta' seeds I planted this year! I would say at least about 10-15% of around 60 seeds that germinated. I wondered if it was the particular batch (wilko brand, would that make a difference? ) or just one of those things?
Anyway they grew up and are now flowering so it doesn't really matter anyhoo

Here they were not long after germinating.

[Kiwi_Soph]

well the three leaved pumpkin seems to be doing ok- on its second set of true leaves with the buds of a third, whereas the two-leafer is struggling with the second. Both are still smaller than my squash and courgettes planted at the same time though.

Old mutant three leaves is still a bit mutant too; where all my other curcubits are putting out their leaves in sets of two at 180 degrees to each other three leaves is putting them out in threes, all 120 degrees or so apart. I am nerdily facinated!