Home | > | List of families | > | Cucurbitaceae | > | Lagenaria | > | sphaerica |
Synonyms: |
Lagenaria mascarena Naud. Luffa sphaerica Sond. Sphaerosicyos sphaericus (Cogn.) Sond. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Perennial climber with annual stems, up to 10 m long. Tendrils 2-fid. Leaves up to 19 × 22 cm, broadly ovate in outline, deeply 5-lobed, dark green above, paler and densely puberulous below; cordate at the base; margin with coarse sinuate teeth. Flowers unisexual on different plants, in racemes or solitary; white with green veins. Fruit almost round, smooth, up to 12 × 11 cm, dark green with smaller and larger pale patches. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | In riverine forest and thickets |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | From Somalia to the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Also in Madagascar and the Comoros. |
Botswana distribution: | |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 88 - 89. (Includes a picture). Jeffrey, C. (1978). Cucurbitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Pages 438 - 439. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 38. Reekmans, M. (1983). Cucurbitaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume II Page 460. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 53. |
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