DESCRIPTION: It is a dioecious, scandent herb with solitary, spiniform tendrils. The tuberous tap root is up to 1.5 m long. USE: The mature fruits are eaten raw, roasted (in ashes) or slowly baked in hot sand; it has a sour-sweet taste. The unripe fruits cause a burning sensation of the tongue and lips when eaten raw. The fruit also provides an important source of water. The fruit skin and the seeds are roasted and pounded to make a meal. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial with annual stems. COMMON NAMES: Gemsbok cucumber, Gemsbokkomkommer, Herero cucumber, Wild melon. FURTHER INF: It is a typical Kalahari species which prefers deep sandy soils. It occurs in woodland, wooded grassland and grassland at altitudes of 900ˆ1350 m. It is not frost tolerant but tolerates saline subsoil. It is native to Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa
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