Cucumis metuliferus Naudin, Cucurbitaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 11 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Cucumis metuliferus)

Other Latin names:  Cucumis metulifer ?; Cucumis tinneanus Kotschy & Peyr.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: African horned cucumber, African horned melon, horny cucumber, jelly melon, kiwano

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Cucumis metuliferus is an annual climbing or rarely trailing herb; vegetative parts rough with spreading hairs. Stems are up to 3 m long, radiating from a woody rootstock. The leaves are broadly ovate-cordate in outline, up to 90 x 100 mm, unlobed or usually palmately 3-5-lobed, veins below very roughly hairy, margins minutely toothed; leaf stalks (petioles) up to 100 mm long. Both male and female flowers appear on the same plant (monoecious). Male flowers are solitary or up to 4 in sessile or short-stalked groups, greenish to light yellow, the corolla is 5-10 mm long. Female flowers are solitary on 20-60 mm long stalks; the ovary is up to 20 mm long, pale green with numerous minute, dark green fleshy spines, the corolla is yellow, 8-15 mm long. The fruit is ellipsoid-cylindrical, obscurely trigonous (triangular in shape), 60-150 mm long, 30-60 mm across when ripe, the scattered spines are rather stout, fleshy, ± 10 x 2-5 mm, broad-based, deep green-grey, ripening yellow to orange-red with obscure longitudinal stripes of small pale markings and rather softly fleshy. Seeds are ellipsoid, flattened, 6-9 mm long, numerous, embedded in a light green or emerald-green, jelly-like flesh." (PlantZAfrica)

Habitat/ecology:  "[Cucumis metuliferus] usually grows in shallow or deep, well-drained sand, mostly in alluvial soil on river banks, in river beds or flood plains; it is also recorded from clay or loam soil and rocky slopes. It climbs on trees, shrubs or grass in various vegetation types such as forest edges (often riverine), semi-evergreen forest, deciduous woodland (often with Acacia), savanna or grassland. The jelly melon also grows in disturbed areas and abandoned land." (PlantZAfrica)

"Cucumis metuliferus grows at an altitude of 210 m to as high as 1800 m above sea level. Based on the information on specimen labels in the National Herbarium (PRE), the flowering time is from about January to May while the fruiting time is from about February to July. Birds eat the juicy ripe fruits. Hollowed-out shells are often found on the ground; rodents, primates and small antelopes (e.g. steenbok) nibble on the fruit." (PlantZAfrica)

"Semi-evergreen forest, woodland, wooded grassland and grassland, also on abandoned cultivated land, often riverine 300–1100 m." (Flora Zambesiaca)

Propagation:  In cultivation, from seed: sow indoors before last frost direct sow after last frost; remove fleshy coating on seeds before storing; allow unblemished fruit to ripen, then clean and dry seeds; seed does not store well, so sow as soon as possible. (Dave's Garden)

Native range:  -

Impacts and invaded habitats:  Cucumis metuliferus has been reported as invasive in Croatia, Yemen, and the Seychelles (GBIF).

If you know of other invaded habitats or impacts, please report invaded habitats or impacts of Cucumis metuliferus to PIER.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
French Polynesia French Polynesia Islands	French Polynesia Islands		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Asia Asia	Afganistan		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Asia Asia	Yemen	native	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180929
Asia Asia	Yemen	introduced invasive	GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930, assuming that "invasive" implies "introduced"
Australia Australia	Australia	invasive	Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 105) (S)erious weed
Australia Australia	Australia		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180929, "naturalized"
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced invasive	GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930, assuming that "invasive" implies "introduced"

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Africa Africa	Africa	native cultivated	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180929, "NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Zaire WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Burkina Faso, Liberia, Senegal SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, [KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga] Swaziland"
Africa Africa	Angola		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Benin		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Botswana		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Burkina Faso		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Burundi		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Cameroon		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Central African Republic		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Equatorial Guinea		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Ethiopia		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Gabon		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Kenya		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Liberia		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Mozambique		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Namibia		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Niger		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Nigeria		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Somalia		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	South Sudan		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Swaziland		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930, loc as "Eswatini"
Africa Africa	Tanzania		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Uganda		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Zambia		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Africa Africa	Zimbabwe		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Europe Europe	Croatia	introduced invasive	GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930, assuming that "invasive" implies "introduced"
Europe Europe	Hungary		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Europe Europe	Netherlands		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Europe Europe	Sweden		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
Malawi Malawi	Malawi		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
South Africa South Africa	South Africa (Republic of)		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
United States of America United States	United States		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (year unknown) accessed 20180929, "naturalized"
Venezuela Venezuela	Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)		GBIF (year unknown) accessed 20180930

Control:  If you know of control methods for Cucumis metuliferus, please let us know.