Botanical Name / Cucumis maderaspatanus L.

Stem long, slender, much branched, strongly hispid with patent bristly hairs. Leaves dark green above, paler grey-green beneath, short to long lamina 3—11 x 3—10 cm, broadly triangular in outline, deeply cordate with wide sinuses, shortly to very deeply 5-lobed, margin shortly, irregularly dentate, shortly hispid beneath, especially on major veins, shortly hispid above, intermixed with long, white hairs to 2.5 mm long or not, or rarely subglabrous overall, 5-veined from base; petiole (0.5-)2-5.5(-9) cm, hispid Flowers yellow. Male flowers: calyx lobes 1 x 0.3 mm, triangular-subulate hirsute; corolla lobes 2.5 x 1.5 mm, connate for c. 1/3 of length from base, ovate obtuse, simple white hirsute without, short within; stamens 3, filaments short, c. 1 mm long. anthers 1,5 mm long. Female flowers: calyx lobes c. 2 x 0.5 mm, subulate, hirsute; corolla lobes 3.5 x 0.5 mm; ovary 3.5x 3 mm, ovoid ellipsoid, long hirsute, ovules many; style c. 1 mm long; stigma 3-lobed, lobes c. 1 mm long. Fruit (immature) c. 1.5 cm diameter, globose pale green with longitudinal cream stripes, ripening scarlet, simple hirsute, fruiting pedicel up to 3 mm long, stout. Seeds 3.5 x 2 mm, up to 25 or more. horizontal, closely arranged, flattened ovoid to trapezoid. (FOC)

Melothria maderaspatana (L.) Cogn. , Mukia scarella (L.f.) Arn. , Cucumis pubescens Willd.

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