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Cyclanthera brachystachya - (Ser.)Cogn.

Common Name Cuchinito
Family Cucurbitaceae
USDA hardiness 9-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Shrublands in the Andes at elevations of 1500 - 3500 metres.
Range C. and S. America - Mexico to Colombia and Ecuador.
Edibility Rating    (1 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Semi-shade
Cyclanthera brachystachya Cuchinito


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Andel
Cyclanthera brachystachya Cuchinito
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Llez

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Cyclanthera brachystachya is a ANNUAL growing to 3 m (9ft 10in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. It is in flower from August to September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

C. explodens. Naudin.

Plant Habitats

 Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit
Edible Uses:

Fruit - raw or cooked[196]. The fruit is up to 4cm long[200].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Requires a warm sunny and sheltered position in a rich well-drained soil. Plants are not very cold hardy in Britain and so are normally grown in a greenhouse. However, if they are started in a greenhouse in the spring and grown on well it is possible to get reasonable yields in most years outdoors in this country. Plants have been seen outdoors in an open sunny position at Kew on several occasions with ripe fruit[K]. Plants tolerate more cold than many cucurbits[196].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring in a rich compost in a warm greenhouse. Put 2 or 3 seeds in a pot and thin the seedlings to the strongest plant. Plant out after the last expected frost and give the plants some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away well.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

SOUTHERN AMERICA: Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Cyclanthera pedataAchocha, Caihua, Caygua, Cayua, Korila, Wild CucumberAnnual4.5 9-11 FLMHSNM341

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

(Ser.)Cogn.

Botanical References

200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

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