(Redirected from Cyclanthera explodens)
Cyclanthera brachystachya
(DC.) Cogn.
Cucurbitaceae
Cyclanthera explodens Naudin
Elaterium brachystachyum DC.
Cyclanthera bourgaeana Naudin
Cyclanthera costaricensis Cogn.
Cyclanthera glauca Cogn.
Momordica glauca Moritzi ex Cogn.
Common Name: Cuchinito
Fruiting plant
Photograph by: BotBln
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Fruiting plant
Photograph by: BotBln
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Fruit, flowers and leaf
Photograph by: Andel Früh
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
Female (left) and male flowers
Photograph by: H. Zell
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Remains of the fruit after it has 'exploded' to eject the seed
Photograph by: H. Zell
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Seeds
Photograph by: Andel Früh
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
General Information
Cyclanthera brachystachya is an annual plant producing stems around 3 metres long that scramble over the ground or climb into other plants, attaching themselves by means of tendrils[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible fruit, which is consumed locally. It is also sometimes cultivated locally[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
Range
S. America - Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela; C. America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, north to Mexico.
Habitat
Thickets, at elevations from 800 - 2,000 metres in Guatemala[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. Shrublands in the Andes at elevations of 1,500 - 3,500 metres.
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual Climber |
| Height | 3.00 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of higher elevations in the tropics, where it is found at elevations of 800 - 3,500 metres[
196- Title
- Lost Crops of the Incas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Popenoe. H. et al
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-309-04264-X
- Description
- An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
,
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. Plants tolerate more cold than many cucurbits[
196- Title
- Lost Crops of the Incas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Popenoe. H. et al
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-309-04264-X
- Description
- An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
].
Requires a warm sunny and sheltered position in a rich well-drained soil.
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw or cooked[
196- Title
- Lost Crops of the Incas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Popenoe. H. et al
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-309-04264-X
- Description
- An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
]. Eaten in salads, pickled, or boiled in the same way as a squash[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. The greenish fruit is up to 4cm long[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow 2 or 3 seeds in a pot and thin the seedlings to the strongest plant. Plant out when large enough.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
