Characteristics
A herb. It lies along the ground and can be a climber. It can be 3 m long. The leaf blade is 3-10 cm long by 4-13 cm wide. It is broadly oval.
| Life form |
annual
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
| Sexuality |
monoecy
|
| Pollination |
entomogamy
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
1.0 - 1.5
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
It is a subtropical plant. It grows in hot arid areas with a marked dry season. It grows between 10-1,675 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The fruit are eaten raw and used in soups and vegetable dishes. The dried fruit are cooked together with maize porridge.
| Uses |
food
|
| Edible
|
fruits
leaves
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants are grown from seeds. Non bitter varieties are selected.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
10 - 20
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
22
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
21 - 28
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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