In my experience, heat results in small or no pods, not elongated pods (granted, I haven't grown those varieties but my annums and chineses both get smaller pods in heat). Did you change your soil or fertilizer this year?

Yes. I change out every year. It's strange because I saved seeds from the 7 Pot Jonah Butch T 2 years ago. I saved seeds from the Jamaican Hot Chocolate last year, and I got the seeds for the Naga Viper in a swap. It's hard to imagine they were all crossed with the same pepper and are displaying the same characteristics. That's why I believe it has to be something environmental.

Tim

That is weird. All 3 peppers plants would not put out pods in the same way. In my experience, temperature does not really change the shapes of the peppers. It would cause flowers to drop or pods not to develop. Sometimes, the first group come out different than the second group. Year to year, peppers do not always produce the same traits. Sometimes, 1 gene gets left out and it changes 1 little thing.

Its also possible that they are crosses but if this is the first batch, that my be your answer.

I have some Choc habs as an example. They both produce elongated pods, 1 dark green pods, 1 light green pods, both from the same plants with round pods. 1st batch so Im thinking it is from that and not a cross. I believe this may be what is happening with yours as well.

My orange habs are doing this. The first pods were normal shaped, but the later pods when the weather heated up have been elongated. Nothing else has changed. This is a first year grow on the orange habs too.

Possibly water stress because of high temps. Wait 'till the second crop this fall and see if they do it again. If you live near a nuclear power plant, then rent a Geiger counter. ;!)