Common Name:

General Information

Lagenaria sphaerica is a perennial climbing plant producing new stems annually that can be 10 metres or more long from a woody rootstock. The stems scramble over the ground, climbing into the surrounding vegetation where they attach themselves by means of tendrils[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. Mature fruits are sold for medicinal use in local markets in South Africa[]. The plant is grown as an ornamental in gardens[].

Known Hazards

Mature fruits are poisonous, bitter-tasting, and release strong-smelling volatile compounds[].
The Kamba of Kenya use the fruits as a poison for cockroaches and rats[]. A case of lethal human poisoning has been reported from South Africa[].

Botanical References

Range

East Africa - east DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, southern Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, S. Africa.

Habitat

Forest margins; evergreen and deciduous forests; riverine woodland; river banks and in dry river beds; also in dry scrub thickets and ground-water forests; also sometimes recorded from swamp forests, littoral dunes and maritime scrub on the seashore[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	8.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Butterflies
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

In southern Africa this species grows at elevations from around sea level to 915 metres. It is found in both dry and wet areas, with a mean annual rainfall within the range 200 - 1,200mm[].
Succeeds in full sun and in partial shade[]. The plant is usually found in well-drained loam, sandy loam and stony, sandy soils in the wild[].
Hybrids between Lagenaria sphaerica and Lagenaria siceraria (the bottle gourd) are found in cultivation in eastern Africa. However, the hybrid is sterile: female flowers abort and male flowers have poor pollen viability. The possibility of transfer of desirable traits to Lagenaria siceraria still requires investigation[].
The plant can flower all year round[].
The fragrant flowers open around 7:00 a.m., and close in the afternoon[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. They are non-bitter[].

Young fruits - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].
Mature fruits are poisonous, bitter-tasting, and release strong-smelling volatile compounds[].

Medicinal

An extract of the boiled roots is taken as a treatment for gonorrhoea[]. An infusion made from two handfuls of a mixture of the roots, combined with the roots of Bidens pilosa, is taken internally or administered as an enema as a treatment for stomach ache[].
Pounded root decoctions are used for treating swellings thought to be caused by blood disorders[].
A decoction of the roots is used to treat wounds[].

The fruit is reported to be an ingredient in a Xhosa remedy for glandular swellings[].

An infusion from the fruits and leaves is used as a liniment to treat infections of the umbilical cord[]. The leaves and fruits are used as a medicine for treating chickenpox[].

An infusion made from two handfuls of a mixture of the leaves, combined with the roots of Bidens pilosa, is taken internally or administered as an enema as a treatment for stomach ache[].

The seeds are used in a veterinary anthelminthic[].

Cucurbitacins B and D have been isolated from the fruits and roots, with traces of other cucurbitacins in the fruits[].
The fruits contain saponins[].
The seeds are rich in oil[].
The bitter taste of the fruit is because of elaterase activity[].

Other Uses

Fruits are used as a soap substitute[].

The Kamba of Kenya use the fruits as poison for cockroaches and rats[].

The fruits are used as footballs by children[].

Propagation

Seed -

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