Desert Cucumber, Mallee Cucumber
Mukia micrantha

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A pumpkin family plant. It is a climbing or trailing herb. It has a woody rootstock. The stems are 1-4 m long. The leaves are 1.5-6 cm long by 1-4.5 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 1-3 cm long. They are broadly oval. The base is heart shaped. There can be rounded or sharp teeth along the edge. The leaves can also have 3-7 lobes. The leaves have rough hairs underneath. The flowers are 0.6 cm across. They are cream or yellowish-green. The male flowers have 2-5 flowers in each cluster. The female flowers also have 2-5 flowers in a cluster and these are usually in the same axil as the male flowers. The fruit are 1-1.4 cm long by -.7-1.3 cm wide. They are oval and greenish-yellow.

There are 10 Mukia species. They grow in the tropics. This species may be renamed.

Where it is found

It grows in central Australia. It grows in sands and clay loams along waterways. It suits semi-arid warm temperate regions and seasonally dry subtropical regions.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

Edible parts

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Cucumis muelleri Naudin [Illegitimate]; Cucurbita micrantha F. Muell.;