Peponium vogelii

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A climbing herb. A pumpkin family plant. It can grow 8 m long. It is roughly hairy on all parts. The tendrils are divided into 2. The leaves vary. They have 5 lobes and are 5-18 cm long by 7-26 cm wide. There are sharp teeth along the edge. The leaf stalk is 2-13 cm long. The flowers are bright yellow. The male flowers are along a stalk 8-36 cm long. They have green to yellow bracts 3 cm long. The flowers are 4-8 cm across. They have a sweet scent and open at night. The female flowers are also on long stalks. The fruit stalks are 7 cm long. The fruit have a bright red and hairy skin. The fruit are 15 cm long. They can be orange with green streaks. The seeds are small and dark.

There are about 20 Peponium species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland and mountain rain-forest in West and Central Africa. It grows between 1,500-2,100 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The unripe fruit are bitter but ripe fruit are sweet. They are eaten raw. They are also cooked.

The fruit are eaten especially by children. It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Fruit, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds.

Ripe fruit are collected during the rainy season.

Its other names

Local names

Antomona, Bukee sexana, Entach, Ikurshaeti, Jojo, Kaktesui, Oltulet-lolowuaru, Tojo

Synonyms

Cucurbita cucullata Bojer ex Hook.f.; Peponium kilimandscharicum (Cogn.) Engl.; and several others