Characteristics
A pumpkin family plant. It is a climbing vine. It can be hairy. The stems are slightly angular. It grows 3-5 m long. The tendrils are branched. The leaves are simple and alternate. The leaves are heart shaped to triangular. They can be 10-30 cm long by 15-40 cm wide. They have white spots. Flowers are separately male and female. The fruit are normally pear shaped or crook-neck shaped. They can weigh 8 kg.
| Life form |
annual
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
climber
|
| Foliage retention |
-
|
| Sexuality |
monoecy
|
| Pollination |
entomogamy
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.37 - 0.48
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
|
| Blooming months |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | | Apr | May | Jun | | Jul | Aug | Sep | | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
A tropical plant. In the tropics it suits places between sea level and 1500 m altitude.
| Light |
|
| Soil humidity |
|
| Soil texture |
|
| Soil acidity |
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The fruit are eaten boiled, baked or fried. They are made into pies and bread. The seeds are eaten raw or roasted or ground and made into sauces. They are also used to make a drink. The flowers can be eaten. Caution: The fruit are bitter and need processing by boiling in several changes of water to remove the bitter cucurbitacins before eating.
Cultivation
Can be grown by seedlings.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
16 - 28
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
Home
