Climbing or trailing herb.. Stems light green with dark green flecks, pubescent to almost glabrous, 1–2 m. long.. Leaves pedately 5-foliolate; median leaflet largest, elliptic to broadly elliptic or broadly ovate, cuneate, obscurely acuminate, apiculate, obscurely to distinctly sinuate-crenate, subglabrous or obscurely punctate (but usually pubescent on the nerves), 40–90 mm. long, 20–48 mm. broad; lateral leaflets similar but smaller and somewhat unequal-based; central petiolule 8–18 mm. long; petiole 18–50 mm. long.. Tendrils simple.. Dioecious.. Male flowers 4–10, subumbellate on a 16–70 mm. long peduncle; bract subtending pedicels broadly obovate-reniform, 6–23 mm. long, 9–34 mm. broad, sinuate-toothed; pedicels 4–6 mm. long; receptacle-tube broadly campanulate, 3 mm. long; lobes linear-lanceolate, acute, ± 5 mm. long; petals white, ± 12 mm. long and 7 mm. broad, 2 with basal incurved scales; stamens (fig. 2/5a, 5b, p. 18) 2, alternate with petal-scales; connective narrow; thecae triplicate.. Female flowers on 35–67 mm. long peduncles, subsessile and subtended by a ± enclosing bract similar to that of the ♂ inflorescence; ovary fusiform, shortly and densely spiny, 8–10 mm. long, 4.5–5 mm. across; receptacle-tube short and broad; lobes lanceolate, 5–7.5 mm. long; petals 8–14 mm. long, 5–6 mm. broad; staminodes 2, papilla-like.. Fruit broadly ovoid or ellipsoid, 31–40 mm. long, 20–33 mm. across, bright orange, densely soft-spiny.. Seeds subglobose, ± 8 × 6 × 5 mm.; testa sculptured, with irregular raised ridges.
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A pumpkin family vine. It is a climbing or trailing herb. It grows each year from seed.
Flowers white, with a large black-purple spot at the base of each petal
Fruit fleshy, 11/2 in. long, prickly, orange-yellow
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