Sicyos polyacanthus
Cogn.
Bur cucumber
gbif· cc-by-nc
Field Museum of Natural History - Botany Department
gbif· cc-by-nc
Rapid Reference Collection (RRC) | Field Museum of Natural History - Keller Science Action Center
Description
A climbing herb. It is a pumpkin family plant. It grows each year from seeds. It is a climber. It can be 4-10 m long. The male and female flowers are separate on the same plant. The fruit are 1 cm long with one large seed.
Edible Uses
A starch is extracted from the plant. The fruit can be eaten but requires special processing.
Traditional Uses
The fruit is a strong purgative. The sap of the plant irritates the skin. They should not be eaten without special processing. A starch is extracted from the plant.
Medicinal Uses
The fruit has traditionally been used as a strong purgative.
Known Hazards
The fruit should not be eaten without special processing. The plant sap irritates the skin.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in woodland and wooded grassland. It grows between 950-1,550 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Central Africa, Central America, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Panama, Paraguay, South America*, Tanzania, Uruguay,
Also Known As
Po-de-mico, Porongo bravo, Tupe, Tupulo, Tupulo del monte
References (4)
- Asfaw, Z. and Tadesse, M., 2001, Prospects for Sustainable Use and Development of Wild Food Plants in Ethiopia. Economic Botany, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 47-62
- Edwards. S., et al, (Eds), 1995, Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Vol.2, Part 2 Canellaceae to Euphorbiaceae. Uppsala, Sweden. p 59
- Malezas Comestibles del Cono Sur, INTA, 2009, Buernos Aires
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 16th April 2011]
