| Author: |
Adrianus Dirk Jacob Meeuse,
1962 | |
Family: |
CUCURBITACEAE |
| Origin: |
Botswana, Namibia, SW South
Africa |
| Soil: |
Sandy |
| Water: |
Medium |
| Sun: |
Medium - Maximum |
| Thickness: |
3 Centimetres |
| Height: |
50-300 Centimetres |
| Flower: |
Yellow |
| Propagate: |
Seeds |
| Names: |
Wild Cucumber, Wild Potato |
| Synonyms: |
- |
This
dioecious member of the Cucurbitaceae
family
was given this name by Adrianus Dirk Jacob Meeuse in 1962. It is found in
Botswana, Namibia and south-western South Africa, growing in a well drained
sandy soil with some water and some to lots of sun. The caudex can grow to
three centimetres in diameter, 20 centimetres long, and are eaten by the
Sand People. The the entire plant
can grow from 50 to 300 centimetres in length, along the ground, or in
vegetation. The flowers are yellow while the fruits are green or
greenish-white, longitudinally variegated with brownish-purple.
The genera name from
Latin; cucumis; 'cuecumber'. The species name from the
Kalahari Desert, where it is found. |
