Cucumis aculeatus
Family: Cucurbitaceae
What it is like
A climbing pumpkin family herb. It grows 3 m long. The stems are prickly. It has a fleshy rootstock that produces stems each year. The stems have tendrils and attach to other plants. The fruit is oval and yellow and 5-7 cm long by 3-5 cm wide.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in grassland and on the edges of forests between 1,000-2,400m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Burundi, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
How it is used for food
The young fruit are eaten raw. Ripe fruit are cooked and eaten or sliced into a paste used with vegetables. They are bitter. The leaves are cooked as a vegetable and also dried and stored.
It is cultivated.
Edible parts
Fruit, leaves, vegetable
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Akobokobo, Kasasalya, Kishasae, Mtango mwitu, Nyambede, Okwer