The Pilgrim's Pots and Pans

Look at the pictures very, very closely. The topmost is of fruits with leaves growing out of their flesh. The leaves make the fruits seem as if they have wings, like Mercury the messenger of the gods.

This has recently been the subject of speculation at the Book of Rai forum. Jacqui, one of the members in Jamaica, found this growing in her mother’s greenhouse. The fruits grow from a vine, are approximately 2 cm. in diametre, have 3-4 soft black seeds and have the feel of thick-skinned grapes. The vine seems to bear fruit once a year, in December.

The bottom left picture shows a fruit on a spoon. That’s the size. It also shows a vertical cross-section. The picture on the right shows the leaves where they grow out of the skin.

Jacqui says:

“I notice that when I open the fruit close to the skin there seems to be a small fibre which seems to be where the leaf attaches to the interior of the fruit in the second photo I have tried to show this fibre.”

Have you seen anything like this wonderfully mind-boggling piece of creation? What is it called? Where is it from? Feel free to download the graphic to post on blogs, fora and boards. OOOHHH please do let us know what it’s called before we’re left with nothing between our ears. Hmmm… I should speak for myself, hehehe! My drain’s about to bry out. 

Update: Stef found out from someone at the GardenWeb forums that the fruit indeed comes from a climbing leafy cactus, the Barbados gooseberry – Pereskia aculeata Mill.