Cucurbitaceae

Gourd Family

Loco Melon

FAMILY: Gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) – Apodanthera genus.

SPECIES: Loco or coyote melon (Apodanthera undulata A. Gray).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Warning! The same warnings discussed under wild gourds (of the Cucurbita genus) apply to loco melon. Whether or not the fruits and seeds of loco melon are edible is disputed. Several sources indicate that Native Americans ate these parts, at least during famines (Ebeling pp. 527-528, Hodgson p. 157, and Minnis 2000 p. 225), yet oil derived from the seeds is considered inedible (Bemis p. 2637 and Pryde p. 319). Consumption of any part is not advised. Loco melon is fairly common. It blooms in summer and produces fruits (gourds) in autumn.

NOTES: I only found loco melon in a few locations, and none of the plants produced suitable fruits or seeds. Very little has been written about loco melon, and unfortunately, without a sample, I can’t comment on the taste, texture, or aroma. Other authors describe the fruits as intensely bitter, but rarely describe the seeds. Based on my experiences with wild gourds (see the Cucurbita genus), loco melon seeds probably taste like pumpkin seeds marked with a bitter accent, but this is speculation. It’s likely that the fruits are toxic, so I strongly advise against eating them unless a safe preparation method can be determined, likewise with the seeds. This wild food is dangerous.

IDENTIFICATION: The Apodanthera genus is represented by 1 species in the United States. Loco melons have ridged fruits and free corolla lobes. Gourds (of the Cucurbita genus) have smooth fruits and united corolla lobes.

Description of loco melon (Apodanthera undulata): FORM low-lying, ill-scented, perennial plant often sprawling over other vegetation; LEAVES simple; alternate; bearing tendrils from the axils; blades rounded to kidney-shaped in outline; margins shallowly wavy-lobed; surfaces rough-haired; FLOWERS showy, regular, unisexual, ovary inferior, and arranged individually or clustered in the leaf axils; calyces 5-lobed; corollas yellow, 5-lobed, the lobes free (or nearly so); stamens 3; FRUITS gourds yellow, ellipsoid, hard-shelled, exceeding 3 cm long; surfaces with conspicuous ridges running lengthwise; HABITAT deserts, fields, floodplains, and disturbed areas; Arizona to Texas and southward into Mexico; blooming in summer.

REFERENCES: Loco melon (Apodanthera undulata): fruits Minnis (2000 p. 225); seeds Ebeling (pp. 527-528 and 706).

Gourds

FAMILY: Gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) – Cucurbita genus.

SPECIES: #1 fingerleaf gourd (Cucurbita digitata A. Gray). #2 buffalo gourd, stinking gourd, or calabazilla (Cucurbita foetidissima Kunth). #3 coyote gourd or coyote melon (Cucurbita palmata S. Watson).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Warning! Wild gourds contain poisonous compounds called cucurbitacins. These compounds are extremely bitter, resistant to heat, and only slightly soluble in water (Lawley pp. 263-265). Cooking will not destroy these compounds. Consuming wild gourds, particularly the flesh and pulp, can cause stomach cramps, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. All parts of wild gourds contain cucurbitacins, but the seeds have a much lower concentration of these compounds than other parts (Gry p. 27). Some sources indicate that the seeds are free of these compounds (Hodgson p. 158, Tull 1987 p. 72, and Turner 1991-a p. 203). The flesh and pulp of wild gourds is potentially lethal to small mammals. Despite references indicating that the flesh is edible, consuming the flesh is extremely dangerous. Seeds were the part most often utilized by Native Americans. Since cucurbitacins are easily detected by their extremely bitter taste, unusually bitter seeds should be avoided.

In ancient times, all species listed above were utilized for their edible seeds (Ebeling pp. 527-528). A few sources indicate that the fruits (particularly the fleshy portion after the pulp is scooped out and the rinds are removed) are edible, but most sources indicate that the fruits are poisonous. Flowers of buffalo gourd (C. foetidissima) are also reported to be edible. The following notes are based on buffalo, coyote, and fingerleaf gourds.

All southwestern species of the Cucurbita genus produce similar gourds. Size may vary, but differences are mainly limited to the leaves. Prior to maturity, wild gourds appear green with lighter-colored spots and stripes. Mature gourds have yellow husks. Past maturity, gourds dry out and turn pale shades of yellowish-tan. Gathering is best done when the gourds are fully mature in mid to late autumn, because the seeds are easier to obtain when the pulp is dry. Moist pulp is very slippery. Actual seeds are olive green and protected by tan shells tangled in a mess of pulp. Numerous seeds are packaged inside each gourd. Gathering a supply is easy. After cracking open the husks and washing away all traces of pulp, whole seeds still in the shells are ready for roasting. Shells can simply be spit out after chewing the seeds. Removing them is optional. About 10 minutes of roasting yields a product of high food value. Wild gourd seeds are nutritious and packed with calories. Roasted seeds are free of bitterness and taste almost identical to pumpkin seeds. If gourds are gathered too early, the seeds may have an acrid overtone and lack oil content. Seeds of mature gourds normally taste excellent. The firm husks act like natural storage containers that preserve the seeds for several weeks, thus creating a long gathering season. Animals generally avoid gourds, which contributes to the availability of this dependable food.

IDENTIFICATION: The Cucurbita genus is currently represented by 8 species in the United States, of which only 3 occur in the Southwest. Wild gourds are large, low-lying, ill-scented, easily spotted plants. Overlooking them is unlikely. The baseball-like fruits are also distinctive. Differences between species are seen primarily in the leaves. All the southwestern species emerge from thick rootstocks.

Description of fingerleaf gourd (Cucurbita digitata): FORM low-lying plant often sprawling over other vegetation; LEAVES simple; alternate; bearing tendrils from the axils; blades rounded in outline; margins deeply palmately cut into 5-9, narrow, finger-like lobes; surfaces rough-haired; FLOWERS showy, regular, unisexual, ovary inferior, and arranged individually at the nodes; male and female flowers separate but on the same plants; calyces 5-lobed; corollas yellow, cup- or bell-shaped, and deeply 5-lobed; stigmas 3; stamens 3-5; FRUITS pepos (gourds) globe-shaped, hard-shelled, and exceeding 3 cm in diameter; surfaces smooth, nonspiny; seeds numerous; HABITAT deserts, fields, floodplains, and disturbed areas throughout most of the Southwest; blooming in summer.

Description of buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima): FORM low-lying plant often sprawling over other vegetation; LEAVES simple; alternate; bearing tendrils from the axils; blades lance-triangular in outline; margins entire; surfaces rough-haired; FLOWERS showy, regular, unisexual, ovary inferior, and arranged individually at the nodes; male and female flowers separate but on the same plants; calyces 5-lobed; corollas yellow, cup- or bell-shaped, and deeply 5-lobed; stigmas 3; stamens 3-5; FRUITS pepos (gourds) globe-shaped, hard-shelled, and more than 3 cm in diameter; surfaces smooth, nonspiny; seeds numerous; HABITAT deserts, fields, floodplains, mesas, and disturbed areas throughout the Southwest and southern Great Basin; blooming in summer.

Description of coyote melon (Cucurbita palmata): FORM low-lying plant often sprawling over other vegetation; LEAVES simple; alternate; bearing tendrils from the axils; blades rounded in outline; margins palmately lobed to about the middle; surfaces rough-haired; FLOWERS showy, regular, unisexual, ovary inferior, and arranged individually at the nodes; male and female flowers separate but on the same plants; calyces 5-lobed; corollas yellow, cup- or bell-shaped, and deeply 5-lobed; stigmas 3; stamens 3-5; FRUITS pepos (gourds) globe-shaped, hard-shelled, and more than 3 cm in diameter; surfaces smooth, nonspiny; seeds numerous; HABITAT deserts, fields, floodplains, and disturbed areas, primarily of southern California; blooming in summer.

REFERENCES: #1 fingerleaf gourd (Cucurbita digitata): seeds Ebeling (pp. 527-528) and Hodgson (p. 158). #2 buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima): flowers Turner (1991-a p. 203); fruits Couplan (p. 150), Ebeling (pp. 527-528), and Kearney (1960 p. 822); seeds Ebeling (pp. 527-528), Hodgson (p. 158), Kearney (1960 p. 822), Moerman (p. 94), and Tull (1987 p. 72). #3 coyote melon (Cucurbita palmata): seeds Ebeling (pp. 527-528) and Hodgson (p. 158).