Cucumis dipsaceus Ehrenb. ex Spach, Cucurbitaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: hedgehog cucumber, hedgehog gourd, teasel gourd, tiger's egg, wild spiny cucumber

French: concombre bardane, concombre porte-soies

Spanish: calabacilla, comida del zorro, friega-mata, huevo de tigre, jabonillo, pepino diablito

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Stems up to several m long, hispid.  Leaves cordate, reniform to broadly ovate with a basal sinus, blades 2-8 cm long, 3-9 cm wide, sometimes shallowly 3-lobed, both surfaces hispid, margins denticulate, apex obtuse, petioles 2-10 cm long.  Staminate flowers solitary or in clusters of 2-4, pedicels 6-12 mm long, calyx lobes linear, 2-3 mm long, corolla lobes yellow, 7-12 mm long; pistillate flowers solitary, sometimes co-axillary with staminate flowers, pedicels 2-6 mm long, hypanthium 6-10 mm long, hispid.  Fruit yellow, subglobose to ellipsoid, 2-7 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm in diameter, densely and softly spiny or bristly, spines slender, 3-8 mm long, pulp green.  Seeds very pale brown, 3-5 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 570).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "widely naturalized in dry, disturbed sites, 0-400 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 570). Arid lowlands in the Galápagos Islands (McMullen, 1999; p. 308).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Eastern Africa (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 570).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Española Group	Española Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 570)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 570)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 570)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 570)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 570)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wysong, Michael/Hughes, Guy/Wood, K. R. (2007) (p. 4) Voucher cited: Wysong 753 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 570)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 570) Voucher cited: Bryan s.n. (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 234)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Baja Sur, Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Veracruz Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Texas Naturalized

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