Characteristics
A pumpkin family herb. It is a vine. The leaves have 3-5 leaflets and teeth along the edge. The lower leaflets have lobes and are 12 cm long and wide. The end leaflet is not lobed. The tendrils are divided into 2. The male flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves. The female flowers occur singly. The fruit are green and 3 cm long. They open explosively when ripe. The seeds are oval and 9 mm long.
Life form |
annual
|
Growth form |
herb
|
Growth support |
climber
|
Foliage retention |
-
|
Sexuality |
monoecy
|
Pollination |
-
|
Spread |
-
|
Mature width (meter) |
-
|
Mature height (meter) |
-
|
Root system |
-
|
Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
Flower color |
-
|
Blooming months |
-
|
Fruit color |
-
|
Fruiting months |
-
|
Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
It is a tropical plant. In Costa Rica plants grow between 1,400-2,500 m above sea level.
Light |
-
|
Soil humidity |
-
|
Soil texture |
-
|
Soil acidity |
-
|
Soil nutriment |
-
|
Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The young leaves are eaten.
Uses |
-
|
Edible
|
leaves
|
Therapeutic use
|
-
|
Human toxicity |
-
|
Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Mode |
-
|
Germination duration (days) |
-
|
Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
Germination luminosity |
-
|
Germination treatment |
-
|
Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
Size |
-
|
Vigor |
-
|
Productivity |
-
|