Cucumis cinereus

(Cogn.) Ghebret. & Thulin

Cucurbitaceae Edible: Leaves 12 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Description

A herb or vine. It has tendrils 4-5 cm long. The leaves have 5 lobes spread like fingers on a hand. They are heart shaped at the base. Male flowers are in groups of 5-19. Female flowers occur singly. The fruit are oval and orange. They are 1.5-2.5 mm long and 1 cm wide.

Edible Uses

The leaves are eaten.

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant.

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland,

Synonyms

Cucumella cinerea (Cogn.) C. JeffreyKedrostis cinerea Cogn.Kedrostis gracilis R. Fern.Melothria cinerea (Cogn.) A. Meeuse

References (3)

Cunningham, 1985, (As Cucumella cinerea)
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 100 (As Cucumella cinerea)
Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora (As Cucumella cinerea)