Plants annual [perennial], monoecious [dioecious], scandent or prostrate; stems mostly annual, densely villous to puberulent [sparsely hirsute to villous-hirsute]; taprooted [roots tuberous]; tendrils 2-branched. Leaves: petiole with pair of small conical glands at apex; blade broadly reniform or ovate [suborbiculate], ± palmately 3–5(–7)-lobed, lobes triangular to widely obovate, base cordate, margins shallowly sinuate-serrate to dentate or sinuate-dentate, surfaces shortly puberulous or pubescent, eglandular. Inflorescences: staminate flowers solitary [racemose], axillary; pistillate flowers solitary, in same axils as staminate; bracts absent. Flowers: hypanthium campanulate to funnelform; sepals 5, subulate to triangular or linear; petals 5, distinct, white to cream, obovate to oblong-obovate, (15–)20–greenish yellow, maturing yellowish or pale brown, commonly mottled or with light green or white longitudinal stripes, subglobose to cylindric, ellipsoid, or lageniform, sometimes 2-ventricose, usually broader distally, smooth, glabrous, indehiscent. Seeds 100–300, oblong to ovoid-oblong, compressed, not arillate, with marginal groove (truncate), surface smooth. x = 11.

Distribution

Introduced; Africa, Indian Ocean Islands (Madagascar), introduced widely.

Discussion

Species 6 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

Clarke, A. C. et al. 2006. Reconstructing the origins and dispersal of the Polynesian bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria). Molec. Biol. Evol. 23: 893–900.

Lower Taxa

Lagenaria siceraria