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Common Name: Achoccha

General Information

Cyclanthera pedata is an annual plant that can grow up to 4.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

C. and S. America - from Mexico south to Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	4.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a very warm, sunny and sheltered position in a rich well-drained soil[].
The achocha is occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit in S. America, there are many named forms[]. Plants are not very cold-hardy in Britain and are normally grown in a greenhouse. However, if the plants are started in a greenhouse in the spring and grown on well it is possible to get reasonable yields in most years outdoors in Britain. Fruiting plants have been seen outdoors on a number of occasions at Kew Botanical gardens[].

Edible Uses

Fruit. Young fruits are eaten raw or cooked and have a similar taste to cucumbers though they are not crisp[, ]. Older fruits are cooked, they can be stuffed in much the same way as marrows[, ]. The fruit is about 6 - 15cm long[] and 6cm wide[].
Leaves and tender young shoots - cooked and used as greens[, ].

Medicinal

A tea made from the seeds is used in the treatment of high blood pressure[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring in a rich compost in a warm greenhouse. Put 2 or 3 seeds in a pot and thin the seedlings to the strongest plant. Plant out after the last expected frost and give the plants some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away well.