Citation: M. Roemer, Syn. Monogr. 2:47 (1846).

Synonymy: Cucumis maderaspatanus L., Sp. PI. 1012 (1753); Melothria maderaspatana (L.)Cogn. in A. & C. DC., Monogr. Phan. 3:623 (1881); Bryonia scabrella L. in L.f., Suppl. 424 (1782); Mukia scabrella (L.f.)Arn., J. Bot.(Hooker) 3:276 (1841).

Common name: None

Description:
Stems trailing or climbing to 3 m, annual from a perennial rootstock, scabrous; leaves subsessile or with petioles to 2 cm long (to 9 cm not in S.Aust.); lamina ovate, lanceolate or triangular, 2-11 x 1-11 cm, cordate, unlobed to 3-5-lobed, lobes rounded to triangular, dentate, obtuse or acute, hispid.

Male flowers in 2-15-flowered fascicles or short racemes on peduncles to 6 mm long; pedicels 1-6 mm long; hypanthium narrowly campanulate, 2-4 mm long, hispid; calyx lobes triangular to subulate, 0.5-1 mm long; corolla lobes ovate, 1.5-4 mm long, yellow; disk gland-like; anthers c. 2 mm long; connective appendages minute; female flowers in 2-20-flowered fascicles, rarely co-axillary with males; subsessile or on pedicels to 4 mm long; perianth similar to males; ovary globose, 1.5-3 mm diam., hispid; style inserted on an annular disk; stigma 3-fid.

Fruit subglobose, 5-12 mm diam., glabrescent, red, subsessile or on pedicels to 5 mm long; seeds 3-8, 4-5.5 mm long, turgid, pitted or smooth, pale-buff or black.

Published illustration: Telford (1982) Flora of Australia 8:185, fig. 40A-G.

Distribution:    W.Aust.; N.T.; Qld.   Tropical Africa, .Asia to south-western Pacific. Conservation status: native Flowering time: summer.

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