Hard to say, but my best guess would be slug or insect damage as the flower was developing. I've had cucumber beetles damage squash flower buds, when their numbers were high. Voles might also have eaten the petals. That being said...
I have seen quite a few deformed blossoms on my squash; for some reason, this usually late in the season. The flowers may be deformed or doubled, and the female flowers may have a stem running through them, sometimes with leaves attached.
Tromboncino flowers in particular frequently have the stem running down the fruit; as the squash develops, this can actually become a growing vine tip! I once kept a mature squash with an ingrown vine running its entire length... it bloomed all winter, using only the stored energy of the squash. Made an interesting centerpiece.
|