Fluted Gourd

Telfairia occidentalis

Physical Characteristics

Telfairia occidentalis is an evergreen Climber growing to 15 m (49ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, Insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Distribution

West tropical Africa - Benin to Cameroon.

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Leaves Oil Seed Shoots Edible Uses: Condiment Oil Seed - cooked[46 ]. A pleasant almond-like flavour[301 ]. It can be boiled and eaten as a nut, or ground into a flour for use in soups[300 ]. Immature seeds are cooked or roasted; they can also be fermented for several days and eaten as a slurry[299 ]. Mature seeds are not consumed directly because they have a high content of antinutrients[299 ]. The raw flour shows better water and fat absorption properties than the oil, hence its useful application in baking products[299 ]. The seed contains up to 30% protein and a high content of a non-drying oil[300 ]. The large seeds are up to 5cm in diameter and are contained in a fruit that can weight up to 50kg[298 ]. The seeds have a very high oil content and are used to make a cooking oil[298 ]. The main constituents of the oil are oleic acid (37%), stearic and palmitic acid (both 21%), linoleic acid (15%). Variation between samples, however, is large[299 ]. Leaves and young shoots - cooked as a potherb[46 ]. The leaves are used alone or together with okra (Abelmoschus caillei and Abelmoschus esculentus), dika nut (Irvingia gabonensis), or egusi seeds (Citrullus lanatus and other species). They can also be mixed with eru (Gnetum africanum) and Pterocarpus soyauxii[299 ]. The young shoots, up to 50cm long, are used in stews and as a side dish[298 ]. The fruit pulp, including the young seeds, is occasionally made into marmalade[299 ].

Medicinal Uses

Tonic Pregnant women, and patients suffering from anaemia, use the leaf juice as a tonic to strengthen the blood.

Known Hazards

None known