Cucumis dipsaceus

 

Hedgehog Gourd,Wild Cucumber, Teasel Gourd,hedgehog cucumber, tiger’s egg

Hedgehog or teasel gourd (Cucumis dipsaceus) has many other names including (in English) hedgehog cucumber, tiger’s egg and wild spiny cucumber. Native to Eastern Africa ( Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania; Arabian Peninsula - Yemen) but now found all over the tropics .It is a sprawling vine 8-10 feet long

 

Use

This wild cucumber has edible fruit which are very tasty when green and extremely bitter when yellow and fully ripe. It is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants so is often recommended as a nutraceutical supplement (??)

 

Buy

 

US and Canada :

Buy seeds from summerhillseeds : $2.5 for 25 s or bulk seeds from sheffields

or buy from Amazon

 

Asia:

Buy  from Thaomoc Shop

 

Australia :

fairdinkumseeds