Cucumis prophetarum

Cucumis prophetarum is a dioecious and prostrate or climbing perennial vine in the family Cucurbitaceae.[1]

Cucumis prophetarum is native to Mauritania east to the Horn of Africa and southwest to Angola, as well as northern South Africa, southern Mozambique, Comoros, and northern Egypt. It is also native to Israel, southern Lebanon, southern Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and northwestern India. It has been introduced to Qatar.[2]

Its stems and leaves are hairy and the leaves are ovate to round in shape and cordate at the bases and measure 2-4 centimeters in length. They have 3-5 blunt-toothed lobes. Male flowers occur in clusters of 2-3 and are rarely solitary; female flowers are always solitary. They have five yellow petals. The fruit is slightly ovoid and is vertically striped and yellow in color when ripe. It measures 3-4 centimeters in length and is covered in spike-like pustules.[3] It grows wild in semi-desert bushland and grassland up to 6594 feet (2010 meters) in elevation, often with acacia trees.[4]