Melothria pendula L.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Cucurbitaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Melothria pendula L.

  • Description

    Species Description - Monoecious, herbaceous vine to 2 m long; stems slender, nearly cylindrical and striate, glabrous or puberulent; tendrils axillary and simple. Leaf blades 6-12 x 4-8.5 cm, ovate to triangular, entire to deeply 3-5-palmately lobed, chartaceous usually with coarse hairs on both surfaces, the lobes obtuse to acuminate, the central one longer, the base lyrate or cordate, the margins crenate to repand and denticulate; petioles shorter than blades, furrowed. Calyx bell-shaped, green, to 5 mm long; corolla bell-shaped, light yellow, ca. 5 mm long, with 5 spreading petals from a short tube; stamens almost sessile, adnate to corolla tube, the anthers free; pistillate flowers with an annular, 2-lobed disk. Berry smooth, ovoid, 15-18 cm long, turning from light green to blackish green. Seeds elliptic, beige, ca. 2 mm long.

  • Discussion

    Bryonia guadalupensis Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 15. 1826.

    Melothria guadalupensis (Spreng.) Cogn. in A. D C. & C. D C , Monogr. Phan. 3: 580. 1881.

    Melothriapergava Griseb., Fl. Brit. W . I. 289. 1860

  • Distribution

    Occasional in open, moist areas. Maho Bay Quarter a ong Center Line Road (A2413). Also St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; throughout tropical America.

    Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Jamaica South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America|