Description

Creeping Cucumber is a plant in the Cucurbiteae tribe. The plant is especially prominent in southeast regions of the United States. While a native plant, its fast-spreading nature makes it potentially weedy. The plant resembles the cultivated cucumber, possessing miniature yellow flowers, similar leaf shape, same leaf patterns, as well as similar growth patterns. The unripe berries strongly resemble minuscule watermelons. Creeping Cucumber or Karivalli (Solena amplexicaulis (Lam.) Gandhi) is commonly found in deciduous forests and plane areas, it is a climber vine, climb with the help of tendrils. Leaves are green, 4 to 12 cm long and 2.5 to 7 cm broad, ovate to oblong, five angled, apex acuminate and scabrid. Fruit are green with white dots, sized 1.5 to 2 cm long and 1 to1.5 cm broad, apically beaked and ribbed.

Characteristics:

Creeping cucumber is a climbing perennial herb with several tuberous roots spindle-shaped, 1.5-2 cm in diameter. Stem and branches hairless. Leaf-stalk slender, 4-10 mm, finely velvet-hairy at first, becoming hairless; leaf blade ovate, oblong, undivided leathery; 8-12 × 1-5 cm, below densely bristly or almost hairless, above densely bristly or scabrous, base heart-shaped, margin entire or toothed, tip blunt or tapering. Tendrils slender. Male flowers umbellate or subumbellate; flower-cluster-stalk very short, apically 10-20-flowered; flower-stalks 2-8 mm; calyx tube 3-5 mm, about 3 mm in diam.; segments subulate, 0.2-0.4 mm. Flowers are yellow or yellow-white; petals triangular, 1-1.5 mm, tip blunt or pointed; filaments thread-like, about 3 mm. Female flowers are usually solitary; flower-stalk 2-10 mm, finely velvet-hairy; calyx and flower as in male flowers; ovary ovoid, 2.5-3.5 × 2-3 mm; stigmas 3. Fruit red-brown, broadly ovoid, oblong, or nearly spherical, 2-6 × 2-5 cm. Seeds gray-white or gray-brown, nearly round or obovate, 5-7 × 5-6.5 mm, smooth or slightly tuberculate. Flowering: May-August.

Medicinal Uses:

The berries, when unripe and light green can be eaten raw. Dogs are known to eat the leaves without any apparent side effects. Creeping Cucumber has traditionally been used in the management of diseases pertaining to gastrointestinal, respiratory and vascular system.