Maroon cucumber «Hedgehog»

Maroon cucumber «Hedgehog», commonly known a West Indian gherkin, maxixe, burr gherkin, cackrey, and West Indian gourd / Cucumis anguria

A plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, a species of the genus Cucumber (Cucumis).

It grows in many tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. It was cultivated by the Indians of the new world. But over time, some traditional Indian cultures were supplanted by the cultures of the Old World, and the anguria was replaced by the common cucumber (Cucumis sativus).

The fruits are oval, light green, 6 to 12 cm long, about 3.5 cm in diameter, fruits weighing 30 to 300 grams are covered with juicy spines and have long stalks. By the time seed ripeness occurs, anguria fruits acquire a yellow-orange color, while biological ripeness occurs approximately 70 days after germination. Young anguria fruits are eaten raw or pickled, salted. At a later age, the fruits of anguria are inedible.

Anguria is cultivated both as a vegetable and as an ornamental crop.

Tags: decorative