Male flower.

This member of the Cucurbitaceae family was given this name by Célestin Alfred Cogniaux in 1895. It is found in north and eastern tropical Africa from northern Ghana east to Sudan and south to South Africa (Transvaal). It grows in forest and grassland, receiving some to lots of sun and quite some water. The caudex can grow to 15 centimetres, the vines will reach two or even five meters.

The genera name from Latin coccineus, meaning 'red' or 'scarlet' which must referee to the fruits. The specific name after Anton Rehmann, 1840-1917, Polish botanist and collector.

Leaves are very variable: Narrowly to broadly ovate or pentagonal in outline, cordate, dark green, almost glabrous except on veins to shortly pubescent or ± scabrid-punctate above, paler, ± glaucous and almost glabrous to rather densely pubescent beneath, unlobed or shortly to very deeply palmately 3–5-lobed, the lobes ovate or triangular to elliptic, narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, subentire to strongly sinuate-dentate, sometimes ± lobulate, acute to obtuse, rounded or sometimes retuse, apiculate, the central largest.