PUBLISHED IN: Annales des Sciences Naturelles; Botanique, sér. 5, 5: 30. 1866.

TYPE:

ETYMOLOGY:

SYNONYMY: Cucumeropsis edulis (Hook f.) Cogn., Monographiae Phanerogamarum 3: 518. 1881. Basionym: Cladosicyos edulis Hook. f., Flora of Tropical Africa 2: 534. 1871.

INFRASPECIFIC TAXA:

VERNACULAR NAME: white-seeded melon

OTHER VERNACULAR NAMES: dark egusi
     Chinese: gang guo gua
     French: ononde, graines d'quonde
     Japanese: egusi-ito
     Spanish: calabaza pamué
     Yoruba (Nigerian): ito

CULTIVARS:

DESCRIPTION: Monoecious

CHROMOSOME NUMBER: 2n = 22

DISTRIBUTION: Tropical West Africa

ECOLOGY:

EDIBLE USE: Seeds source of edible oil and protein. The term egusi (agusi, agushi, egushi, etc.) in Western Africa refers not only to the plants and seeds of this species, but also to the flour made from ground seeds of this species and various other species of Cucurbitaceae, as well as to the soups and stews made with the flour. In Central Africa's Congo River region, egusi is called mbika. Egusi (the flour) not only serves to thicken soups and stews, but also adds flavor and protein.

MEDICINAL USE:

OTHER USE: Fruits used as fodder.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE:

CONSERVATION:

CULTIVATION PRACTICES:

SEEDS AVAILABLE FROM:

LITERATURE: ORSTOM. 1988. List of Vascular Plants of Gabon with Synonymy.

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