Cucumis maderaspatanus L.

Annual herb. Stems to 4 m, hispid, prostrate or scandent. Leaf-lamina 1-11 x 1-11 cm, narrowly to broadly ovate or triangular in outline, cordate, hastate or sagittate, hispid or scabrid-setulose, especially on the veins, beneath, more shortly so or scabrid-punctate above, unlobed or usually palmately 3(5)-lobed, the lobes usually triangular, entire or remotely and minutely denticulate to coarsely sinuate-denticulate at the margins, the central much the largest, often acuminate, obtuse to acute, apiculate, the lateral shorter and more rounded. Petioles 0·5-11·5 cm long, antrorsely hispid or scabrid. Male flowers on 1-3 mm long pedicels. Receptacle-tube 0·7-1·5 mm long, obconic-campanulate, densely setulose; lobes 0·5-1 mm. long, lanceolate-subulate. Petals 1·2-1·5 mm long, yellow. Female flowers 5-10 in each fascicle; pedicel c. 1 mm long; ovary 1·5-2 mm long, globose, setulose; perianth similar to that of male flower. Fruits 2-8 in axillary clusters, rarely solitary, 6-11 mm in diameter, shortly pedicellate, globose, at first green with paler longitudinal markings, when mature bright red, smooth, glabrous. Seeds 3·5 x 2-3 x 1·5-1·7 mm, ovate in outline, rather tumid, verrucose, bordered.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in forest and along rivers. It is often on sandy soils. It grows in savannah grassland. It grows between 300-1,250 m above sea level. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 1,300-2,100 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

The ripe fruit are eaten. The leaves and seeds are used in curries.

Can be grown by seedlings.