Cucurbitaceae

Synonyms

Citrullus naudinianus (Sond.) Hook.f.; Cucumis naudinianus Sond.

Common names

Gemsbok cucumber

Taxonomy

Cucurbitaceae

Origin and geographic distribution

The Gemsbok cucumber occurs in the southern parts of Africa, namely South Africa, Namibia, Zambia Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana. There is one other species in the genus, also confined to southern Africa.

Description (Jeffrey 1978)

A perennial herb with annual stems. The thick fleshy roots grow up to 1 metre long, and are tuberous and fusiform. Stems are prostrate or trailing, to 6 m in length, often branched, hirsute, often rooting at the nodes. At the nodes are solitary, spine-like tendrils. Leaves are 3–18 x 2,5–14 cm, palmately 5-lobed, on stalks 0.7–7.5 cm long. Flowers are dioecious and yellow, with 5 almost free petals, solitary, measuring 1.6–3 cm in length. Male flowers are on pedicels 0.3–2 cm long, with 3 stamens. Female flowers are on 2–8 cm long pedicels. Fruit are 6–12 x 4–8 cm, ellipsoid or subglobose, glaucous green, becoming pale yellow and later orange when mature, covered with prominent seta-tipped spines, on slender fruit stalks up to 6 cm long. Seeds are white, elliptic in outline, subcompressed, measuring 7–10 x 4–6 x 2.5–3 mm.

Use

Fruits are similar to that of Acanthosicyos horridus, and are eaten at times in spite of the burning sensation experienced if unripe fruit is eaten. The fruit is a major source of food but it is eaten mainly to allay thirst. In the Kalahari the fruits are eaten on a large scale. The fruit can be roasted or eaten raw after removing the outer peel. In Mozambique the peel is regarded as edible. The green translucent jelly-like flesh has a distinctive slightly rank flavour. Pips and skin can be roasted separately and then pounded to make an edible meal (Fox & Norwood-Young 1982).

Toxicity

Unripe fruit contains cucurbitacins that cause a burning sensation in the mouth.

Ecology

Occurs in woodland, wooded grassland and grassland, on sandy soils, at altitudes of 900–1350 m.

Growth requirements and habitat adaptations

Prefers deep sandy soil and can withstand heavy frosts.

References

Fox, F.W. & Norwood-Young, M.E. 1982. Food from the veld. Delta Books, Johannesburg.

Jeffrey, C. 1978. Cucurbitaceae. Flora Zambesiaca 4: 4334-34.