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Telfairia occidentalis
Also called Fluted Gourd, Fluted Pumpkin
Oysternut (Telfairia occidentalis) is a tropical climbing vine from West Africa grown for its leaves and large, oily seeds. It is usually trained on a trellis and needs a long, warm growing season, with good drainage.
Telfairia occidentalis is a tropical vine grown in West Africa as a leaf vegetable and for its edible seeds. Common names for the plant include fluted gourd, fluted pumpkin, ugu (in the Igbo language), ,' T. occidentalis is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae and is indigenous to southern Nigeria. The fluted gourd grows in many nations of West Africa, but is mainly cultivated in southeastern Nigeria and it is used primarily in soups and herbal medicines. Although the fruit is inedible, the seeds produced by the gourd are high in protein and fat, and can, therefore, contribute to a well-balanced diet. The plant is a drought-tolerant, dioecious perennial that is usually grown trellised.
T. occidentalis is traditionally used by an estimated 30 to 35 million people in Nigeria, including the Efik, Ibibio, Ikwerre, and Urhobo ethnic groups.
T. occidentalis is typically grown vertically on trestle-like structures; however, it can be allowed to spread flat on a field. A beneficial outcome of growing the gourd flat is the suppression of weeds, especially when intercropped with a tall, upright plant such as maize. The growing period begins in April or May when seeds are planted; the first leaves and shoots can be harvested after a month and can be collected every 2–4 weeks thereafter. Seeds are planted directly in the soil, typically in groups of three to increase output in a case of a failed germination. Fruit is typically harvested between October and December. The seeds are subsequently collected and dried; a portion of them are consumed, while the remainder are stored for the following planting season. Although dependent upon soil type, the fluted gourd is able to ratoon and subsequently produce many flushes of fruit over long periods. It is able to ratoon with the highest degree of success in well-drained soils. It is propagated using the seeds.
Considered an “oil seed”, the fluted gourd is high in oil (30%). Shoots of T. occidentalis contain high levels of potassium and iron, while seeds are composed of 27% crude proteins and 53% fats. The leaves contain a high amount of antioxidants and hepatoprotective and antimicrobial properties.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Telfairia occidentalis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
