The plant has been blooming (under water) every week, so I have lots of seeds now. I have setup a vernalization schedule for the first set, chilling them in the refrigerator (40F) and removing a set every three weeks for comparison, plus a control group. I've been told that they will germinate at room temperature, but they require an extended (up to several months) cold treatment first. With a second set of seeds I'll be doing the same thing, put keeping them at 80F instead of room temperature, when not refrigerated. A third set will live in the cold frame this winter and experience temperatures down to 36F, and higher during the day, simulating a subtropical winter. It will be fun to see what germinates when, and then I'll start experimenting on the seedlings.
The internet is full of information on eating these, but mostly it begins with a dry or puffed product available in ethnic stores. I did find an extended video about culture and use, but it left out specifics about going from a seed in a hard shell to something that can be cooked with. Every reference I saw, though, had the fruit being cut loose and harvested before it ruptured, so I went out and cut one off.
I found the air channeled stem fascinating. My fingers were a bit sore by the time I got this in the house, though. Those thorns are every bit as vicious as they look.
