| Fluted gourd | |
|---|---|
| Telfairia occidentalis, in an illustration from 1877 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Telfairia |
| Species: | T. occidentalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Telfairia occidentalis Hook.f. |
|
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, and Ugu.
The plant is a drought-tolerant, dioecious perennial that is usually grown trellised.
The young shoots and leaves of the female plant are the main ingredients of a Nigerian soup, edikang ikong.
The large (up to 5 cm), dark-red seed is rich in fat and protein, and can be eaten whole, ground into powder for another kind of soup, or made into a fermented porridge.
The fruit of the plant is large, weighing up to 13 kg, but inedible.