Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

Perennial trailing herb with somewhat woody tuberous rootstock; stems angled, shortly hairy when young becoming scabrid.. Leaf-blade ± elongate-ovate in outline, distinctly scabrid-hairy beneath, smooth except on the nerves above, 26–110 mm. long, 24–66 mm. broad, palmately deeply 3–5-lobed; lobes pinnately lobulate, with the central lobe longest, long-ovate in outline; petiole 8–60 mm. long, rather densely rough-hairy.. Tendrils simple, less often bifid.. Probracts lanceolate-elliptic, 4–5 mm. long, caducous.. Male flowers on 8–20 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube broadly obconic, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, green; lobes lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long; petals greenish-yellow, ± 8–9 mm. long and 5 mm. broad, united below.. Female flowers on 10–45 mm. long pedicels; ovary hairy, subglobose, 7–9 mm. long, 5–8 mm. across; receptacle-tube short; lobes lanceolate, 3–5 mm. long; petals 6–10 mm. long, 4–6 mm. broad.. Fruit on a stalk up to 55 mm. long, subglobose, smooth, green longitudinally striped or mottled with yellow or rather uniformly yellow when ripe, 50–120 mm. or more in diameter, firm-walled, fleshy.. Seeds ovate in outline, smooth, 6.5–10 × 3.5–5 × 2–2.5 mm.. Fig. 5/6–7, p. 45.

A tropical plant. It is native to Tropical Africa. It grows in Mediterranean and warm temperate places. It grows on sandy soils, sand dunes and open plains. It is very drought tolerant. It produces best in dry, sunny periods. It grows in desert places. It can grow in arid places.

CAUTION: The fruit is poisonous if regularly eaten. The fruit requires long boiling to remove the bitter principle. The skin is pierced before boiling. The water is changed several times. The seeds are washed with salt water many times. They are also buried with salt in sand and kept covered there for a few weeks. They are then washed and ground and made into flour. The coating is removed. The seeds are also roasted. The seeds yield an edible oil. The fruit are pickled.

It can be grown from seed or root segments.