Cucurbitaceae FAMILY

Trochomeria macrocarpa

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

1/5

Safety & Hazards

The fruit is non-toxic, but in The Gambia an unstated part of the plant is recognized as poisonous[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ].

Botanical Description

Trochomeria macrocarpa is a perennial climbing plant producing annual stems 10 - 30mm in diameter and up to 6 metres long (though generally less) from a perennial fleshy, tuberous rootstock. The stems scramble over the ground or climb into the surrounding vegetation, supporting themselves by means of tendrils[ 295 Title PlantZAfrica.com Publication Author Website http://www.plantzafrica.com Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants. , 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description 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. , 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ]. The root is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food. There are conflicting reports about the edibility of the fruit.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeAfrica - drier areas from Senegal to southern Sudan, south to S. Africa.

HabitatDeciduous woodland, bushland and savannah at elevations from 600 - 2,400 metres[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description 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. , 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ]. Among rocks on granite/quartzite outcrops and wooded ridges, also on flat areas, along river banks and even rarely in disturbed ground[ 295 Title PlantZAfrica.com Publication Author Website http://www.plantzafrica.com Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants. ].