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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Tuesday - July 22, 2014

From: Lorena, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification, Vines
Title: Ripe fruit of Melothria pendula (Guadaloupe cucumber)
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I see the pictures of the guadualupe cucumber plant. The fruit is still green. When it matures does it look like a small tomato? I have noticed the vine when the fruit is ripe. This is in McLennan Co. Thanks

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants is sorry that we don't have a photo of the ripe fruit of Melothria pendula (Guadeloupe cucumber), but here are photos from Eat The Weeds.  I would describe it as looking like a ripe olive rather than a small tomato.  However, there is a vine that also occurs in Mclennan County TX that you may have seen with a ripe fruit that does look like a small tomato —Ibervillea lindheimeri (Lindheimer's globeberry).

 

From the Image Gallery


Guadeloupe cucumber
Melothria pendula

Guadeloupe cucumber
Melothria pendula

Guadeloupe cucumber
Melothria pendula

Balsam gourd
Ibervillea lindheimeri

Balsam gourd
Ibervillea lindheimeri

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