Dark egusi
Cucumeropsis mannii

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A pumpkin family plant. It is a cucumber-like plant. It lies along the ground. The vines can be 5 m or more long. The leaves are alternate and simple. They are 9-18 cm long and 7-15 cm wide. They are heart shaped at the base and have 3-5 lobes arranged like fingers on a hand. There are teeth around the edge. The flowers are of separate sexes. The male flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves and female flowers occur singly. The flowers are yellow. The fruit are about 25 cm long and 8 cm across. They are pale yellow and have many seeds. The seeds are oval and flattened. They are 1-2 cm long by 0.5-1 cm wide. They are smooth and white.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in forests in tropical Africa. It grows up to 1,150 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Colombia, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ecuador, Equatorial-Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Trinidad, Uganda, Venezuela, West Africa

How it is used for food

The seeds are parched and pounded to remove the seed coat. The kernels are crushed and added to soups and stews. The seeds are roasted and eaten as a snack. The flesh of the fruit is edible but not commonly used.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Edible parts

Seeds, fruit, vegetable, leaves

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Often 3-4 seeds are planted in a hole. The seedlings appear within 6-8 days. It is often intercropped and allowed to climb stakes.

Fruit are collected when the stems have dried and the fruit have changed from green to pale yellow or white. Seed yields can be 300-900 kg per hectare. After harvest fruit are cracked or split open and allowed to rot for 14-20 days to help remove the seed from the pulp. (This creates a smell so is done away from houses.) The seeds are washed and covered with sand to prevent sticking. They are then dried and stored.

Its other names

Local names

Bolose, Budi, Egusi-ito, Goussi-tchegba, Ito, Itoo, Kikuma, Koja, Koja-mumu, Koliko, Losela, Ma-tent, Mbika nsudi, Mengele, Ngani, Ogi, Toror

Synonyms

Cladosicyos edulis Hook.f.; Corynosicyos edulis (Hook.f.) F. Muell.; Cucumeropsis edulis (Hook. f.) Cogn.; Cucumeropsis mackenii K. Koch; Cucurbitella ecuadorensis Cogn.; Melothria sphaerocarpa (Cogn.) H. Scheaf. & S. S. Renner Momordica procera A. Chev.; Posadaea sphaerocarpa Cogn.;