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Telfairia pedata

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Photo by
Paul Latham.


Male flower, p
hoto from: Dr. Gerald Carr.


Fruit, photo by Paul Latham.

Author: William Jackson Hooker, 1827
Family:  CUCURBITACEAE
Origin:  Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania
Soil:  Mix
Water:  Medium
Sun:  Medium
Thickness:  40 Centimetres?
Height:  30 Meter
Flower:  Pinkish-Purple / White
Propagate:  Seeds/Cuttings
Names:  Oysternut, Kweme, Zanzibar Oil Vine, Castanha de Inhambane, Cungo, Cungua, Cungua, Cungua, Dicungo, Lipeme, Meme, Oyster Nut, Umpeme, Queen's Nut, Mkweme
Synonyms:  Fevillea pedata, Sims, 1827.
Telfaria africana
, A: Chevalier, 1949.
Joliffia africana
Bojer, 1827.

This d
ioecious member of the Cucurbitaceae was described by William Jackson Hooker in 1827. It is found in the rainforests of Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania (and as a crop in i.e. Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius), growing in a well drained soil with some water and some sun. The vines will climb for up to 30 meters. The flowers are pinkish-purple and white.

The genera is named after Mr. & Mrs. Telfair, who grow the plant on their farm Bois Chery, on Mauritius. Mrs. draw the plant for Hooker in 1826. The species name means 'foot-like'


Female flower, photo by Paul Latham.