Namib tsama
Citrullus ecirrhosus

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A pumpkin family herb. It lies along the ground. It has a woody taproot and keeps growing from year to year. New shoots develop after rain. They can be 2 m long. It does not have tendrils. The leaves when crushed have the smell of peanut butter. The flowers are yellow. Both male and female flowers are on the same plant but separate. The fruit are pale green with dark streaks. The fruit are 8-18 cm across.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in desert. It grows in stony and sandy soils. It grows between 150-1,065 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa

How it is used for food

The fruit are used for juice and also in porridge. The young fruit are boiled and the water changed to remove the bitterness. The fruit are also buried under the fire at night and the liquid drunk when they are dug up next morning. The seeds yield oil. The seeds are also roasted and crushed then eaten.

The seeds are a famine food.

Edible parts

Seeds, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ekania, Enuua, Omanuua, Tsama melon, Tsamab, Tsamas

Synonyms

Colocynthis ecirrhosus (Cogn.) Chakrav.;