Lagenaria sphaerica
| Wild melon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fruit of Lagenaria sphaerica | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Lagenaria |
| Species: | L. sphaerica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lagenaria sphaerica (Sond.) Naudin
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Lagenaria sphaerica is a herbaceous climber in the family Cucurbitaceae. It is commonly known as the wild melon.[2]
These plants are found in low-lying areas from the Eastern Cape of South Africa to East Africa. The may grow along river floodplains or up into the canopy of riparian forests. They may also be found in coastal dune vegetation.
These plants produce large white flowers which attract many insects. The melon gourd is green and flecked with white.
In Tanzania, only the male flowers produce nectar, which is fed on by the Eastern Olive Sunbird, but the actual pollinators are carpenter bees in the genus Xylocopa; female individuals mimic the males but are nectarless.[3]
Where the plant is native, the leaves and immature fruit are used as vegetables; the mature fruit is both unpalatable and poisonous. Various parts of the plant, including the roots, are used medicinally. Apart from consumption, the fruit are also used a soap substitute, for rodenticide and insecticide, and by children as balls. The vine is also used as an ornamental plant.[4]
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Flowers -
Climbing in Acacia sp.
References
[edit]- ^ "Lagenaria sphaerica (Sond.) Naudin". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ Pooley, Elsa (1998). A Field Guide to Wild Flowers: KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Flora Publications Trust. ISBN 0-620-21500-3.
- ^ Ollerton, J; Nuttman, C (2013). "Aggressive displacement of Xylocopa nigrita carpenter bees from flowers of Lagenaria sphaerica (Cucurbitaceae) by territorial male Eastern Olive Sunbirds (Cyanomitra olivacea) in Tanzania". Journal of Pollination Ecology. 11: 21–26.
- ^ Fern, Ken. "Lagenaria sphaerica". Tropical Plants Database. Archived from the original on 2024-07-22. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
External links
[edit]
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Lagenaria sphaerica". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.
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