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Coccinia quinqueloba

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Photo by R. Story.


Male flower. Photos by R. Story.

Author: Célestin Alfred Cogniaux, 1881
Family:  CUCURBITACEAE
Origin:  S South Africa
Soil:  Mix
Water:  Medium - Maximum
Sun:  Medium - Maximum
Thickness:  15 Centimetres
Height:  4 Meters
Flower:  Yellow
Propagate:  Seeds/Cuttings
Names:  Ivy Gourd, Scarlet Gourd, Scarlet-Fruited Gourd
Synonyms:  Bryonia quinqueloba, Carl Peter Thunberg, 1807.
Cephalandra quinqueloba
, Schrad. 1836.
Momordica quinqueloba
, Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer

This member of the Cucurbitaceae family was given this name by Célestin Alfred Cogniaux in 1881. It is found in southern South Africa, growing in rich but drained soil with some to lots of water and some to lots of sun. The caudex can grow to 15 centimetres or more in diameter, the vines can reach four meters or more. The plants are either male or female.

The genera name from Latin coccineus, meaning 'red' or 'scarlet' which must referee to the fruits. The specific name means 'Five-lobed' like the leaves are.


Photo by R. Story.