Cassabanana
Sicana odorifera

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A pumpkin family plant. It is a vine. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 15 m long. The vine is hairy. The leaves are large and round with lobes. They are 25-30 cm across. The flowers occur singly. They are separately male and female. They occur in the axils of leaves. The fruit is 30-35 cm long and 12-16 cm wide. There are many seeds. There can be 800-850 per fruit.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows naturally in southern Brazil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten unripe and cooked as a vegetable. They are sliced thinly and eaten raw. They can also be made into jams, preserves and alcoholic drinks. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Edible parts

Fruit, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Plants can be stored for several months in dry, shady places.

Its other names

Local names

Calabaza de olor, Calabaza melon, Casabanana, Coroa, Corosa, Croa, Curua, Curuba, Curugua, Crua, Giron, Melao-caboclo, Melocoton, Melon criollo, Melon de olor, Musk cucumber, Musk melon, Namuk, Pabi, Secana, Sikana, Uksha

Synonyms

Cucurbita evodicarpa Hassk.; Cucurbita odorifera Vell.; Cucumis odoratissimus Sesse & Moc.; Sicana atropurpurea Andre;