Citation: L., Sp.Pl. 1009 (1753).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Balsam apple.

Description:
Trailing or climbing annual herbs, stems to 1.5 m, slender, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; tendrils simple; leaves with petioles 1-5 cm long, sparsely pubescent; lamina broadly ovate to orbicular in outline, 2-6 x 2-8 cm, cordate, deeply 5-7-lobed, lobes coarsely sinuate-dentate to lobulate, acute, sparsely pubescent on the main veins.

Male flowers on peduncles 15-35 mm long; bract broadly ovate, cordate, dentate, acute, green-veined, 5-15 x 8-20 diam., 4-5 mm long; pedicels 4-5 mm long; calyx lobes ovate, acuminate, 3-10 mm long; petals ovate, yellow, 12-15 mm long; female flowers on peduncles to 1.5 mm long; bract present or absent; pedicels 4-8 mm long; calyx lobes linear, 2-5 mm long; petals ovate, 7-8 mm long; ovary fusiform, 7-8 mm long, puberulent.

Fruit indehiscent or irregularly bursting, ellipsoid to fusiform, 3-6 cm long x 2-3 cm diam., orange-red, pulp red, on pedicels to 2 cm; seeds 3-6, 10-12 mm long, dark-grey, margin thickened, grooved, crenulate.

Published illustration: Telford (1982) Flora of Australia 8:fig. 37D-F.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: NW, LE.   W.Aust.; N.T.; Qld; N.S.W.   tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, America probably by introduction. Conservation status: native Flowering time: No flowering time is available

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available