Cucurbitaceae FAMILY
Cucumis melo agrestis
Cucumis melo agrestis
Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5
Safety & Hazards
The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[ 65 Title A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. Publisher Wolfe Year 1984 ISBN 0723408394 Description Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far. ].
Botanical Description
Cucumis melo agrestis is a climbing annual plant, producing stems around 1.5 metres long that sprawl along the ground or into other plants where they attach themselves by means of tendrils. This is the wild form of the melon, and is not usually grown for its fruit, which has a bitter flavour. However, the plant is of potential value in breeding programmes.
Habitat & Origin
Origintemperate; tropical
Native RangeProbably native of Asia, though it has been in cultivation for so long its native habitat is obscure
HabitatNaturalized in many areas of the world, though it is not known in a truly wild location. It is a weed of cultivated fields in Turkey[ 93 Title Flora of Turkey. Publication Author Davis. P. H. Publisher Edinburgh University Press Year 1965 ISBN - Description Not for the casual reader, this is an immense work in many volumes. Some details of plant uses and habitats. ], probably as an escape from gardens.