Coccinia abyssinica
Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn.
Coccinia abyssinica is a perennial climber native to Ethiopia and Sudan, first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and published in 1881. It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is known locally by the Oromo name anchote. The plant is cultivated for its tuber and leaves, both of which are consumed as food.
Description
Coccinia abyssinica is a climbing plant with stems reaching up to 5 m in length, often covered with articulate trichomes. Leaves are 7.5–12 cm wide, cordate or lobed, with serrate or dentate margins. The upper leaf surface has pustules and sparse trichomes, while the lower surface has soft or stiff trichomes. Male flowers appear singly or in racemes, with yellow to slightly orange corollas. The plant is notable for its edible tubers and leaves, which are consumed locally.
Distribution
Ethiopia · Sudan
Synonyms
Bryonia abyssinicaBryonia macrophyllaCephalandra diversifoliaCoccinia diversifoliaCucumis striatusCucurbita exanthematica
