Melothria pendula
Linn.
Creeping cucumber
(c) John Brush, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sam Kieschnick
(c) Starr Whitten, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Starr Whitten
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves
The fruit are pickled when green or eaten when ripe. The leaves are also edible.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level.
Antilles, Asia, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil*, Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, North America, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, South America*, Suriname, Taiwan, USA, Venezuela, West Indies,
How to Identify
A pumpkin family herb. It is a vine. The leaves are almost heart shaped and have 5 angles or lobes. They are 3-7 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. There are teeth along the edge. The fruit are smooth and black. They are 1 cm long. They have small white seeds.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Melothria pendula (commonly known as the creeping cucumber, Guadalupe cucumber, mouse melon, and meloncito) is a plant in the Benincaseae tribe. The plant is especially prominent in the Southeastern United States. The plant resembles the cultivated cucumber, possessing miniature yellow flowers, similar leaf shape, same leaf patterns, as well as similar growth patterns. The unripe berries strongly resemble minuscule watermelons.
Names & Synonyms
Ano ta'pe, Bebo kinto, Chilacayotito, Chimu shili, Chinchinkas, Guadeloupe cucumber, Mina na, Mini pepininho, Pepiniculo, Pepinillo cimarron, Pepino-do-mato, Remedyu mishmu tape, Sandia de raton, Sandia montes, Sandia silvestre, Sandiatulub, Sandi-ita, Xtuulub
References (18)
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