|
Cucumis metuliferus (Jelly
melon, African horned cucumber, Kiwano)
Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants)
> Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Rosids > Eurosid I
> Order: Cucurbitales > Family: Cucurbitaceae > Genus:
Cucumis
 |
|
Cucumis metuliferus, Mount Pleasant,
Harare, Zimbabwe. [photo Bart Wursten ©, Flora of Zimbabwe] |
 |
 |
|
Cucumis metuliferus, Mount Pleasant,
Harare, Zimbabwe. [photo Bart Wursten ©, Flora of Zimbabwe] |
Cucumis metuliferus, Catapu,Mozambique. [photo Bart Wursten ©, Flora of Zimbabwe] |
Native to African woodlands and grasslands, prefering
those regions with a hot climate. Within southern Africa, it occurs in Namibia,
Botswana, Swaziland and South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal). It
has become a weed in Queensland, Australia. The fruit is distinctive in having
short horn-like processes widely spaced over its surface. It turns orange when
ripe. Non-bitter varieties are commercially cultivated in South Africa and New
Zealand. In the latter country it has been named and trademarked as
'kiwano', in a similar manner to
Kiwifruit.
Links
Publications
-
van Wyk, B.-E. 2005. Food Plants of the World -
Identification, Culinary Uses and Nutritional Value. Briza, Pretoria.
- Welman, W.G. 2003. Cucurbitaceae. In Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L.
(eds), Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia
14: 413-417. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
|
