Wild cucumber, Mandera cucumber
Cucumis prophetarum

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is a pumpkin family plant. It can lie along the ground or be climbing. The stems are slender. The tendrils are simple and short. It has a taproot. The leaves are oval or round and 2-4 cm long. They can have 3-5 lobes. Male and female flowers are separate. Male flowers occur in groups of 2 or 3 and female flowers occur singly. The fruit are oval and hairy. They have soft bristles. They have yellow and green stripes along them. They are 3-4 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The seeds are pale. There are 2 subspecies.

There are about 25 Cucumis species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows between 3-2,400 m altitude. It can grow in stony, sand or clay soils. It can grow in alkaline soils. It is often over limestone material. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall of 400 mm. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Angola, Arabia, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Europe, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UAE, USA, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia

How it is used for food

The unripe fruit are pickled. The ripe fruit are bitter but are boiled and eaten. They are also cut into small pieces, dried and then cooked as a vegetable. The leaves are edible cooked.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit

How it is grown

Fruit are available during the dry season.

Its other names

Local names

Attanga, Dog's melon, Ekeleruk, Ekolese, Fagus al kulab, Globe cucumber, Katende, Tegesrarit, Yemder-inbway

Synonyms

Cucumis amarus Stocks ex T. Anderson; Cucumis arabicus Delile ex Naudin [Invalid]; Cucumis foetidus Salisb.; Cucumis mascatensis Gand.; Cucumis rheedei Kostel.;