Cucumis myriocarpus
Cucumis myriocarpus
Safety & Hazards
The fruit is reported to be used medicinally, however overdosing and/or the inclusion of the seeds in the pulp have been blamed for fatal cases of poisoning[1]. The plant is suspected of causing photosensitization in sheep and blindness in cattle. However, reports on medicinal use and toxicity of this plant are suspected of wrong identification, and may refer to other species[1].
Cultivation Details
The plant has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in southern Europe, California and Australia. Locally it is considered a weed; in California it has been declared noxious[1]. In southern Africa it is an important weed in maize fields and the poisoning of cattle grazing the stubble of weedy fields is a serious risk. However, as a weed it can easily be controlled mechanically[1]. This species can hybridize with several other members of the genus - those that are most closely related to the gherkin, Cucumis anguria[1].
Propagation
Seed - Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cucumis+myriocarpus>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [2]Flora Zambesiaca — http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html ↩︎An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.