Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn.

A pumpkin family herb. It is a climbing vine plant. It has a tuber and puts out annual stems. The female flowers occur singly and the male flowers in groups. The fruit are oval shaped. They are reddish-yellow. They are about 4 cm long. They contain about 150 seeds. The seeds have a slimy covering.

A tropical plant. It grows in areas with at least 950-1000 mm of rainfall and will grow in areas with 2400 mm rainfall. It grows at altitudes between 1,300-2,800 m. It can grow in arid places.

The tubers are used as food. They are boiled and then often fried. The young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

It is grown from seed or tubers. It requires support for its climbing habit. The seeds are sown at the beginning of wet season. 2-3 seeds are sown 2-3 cm deep in prepared holes. They are spaced about 1 m apart. Seeds germinate best with a temperature between 20°-30°C. Seedlings can be transplanted.