Echinocystis lobata (Wild Cucumber) - photos and description
General: Annual vine using its tendrils to climb among nearby shrubs. Stems are angled and are glabrous.
Flowers: Flowers are unisexual, 6-petaled, white, the male flowers growing in dense panicles, the female flowers 1 or 2 in leaf axils. We measured flowers to 2 cm diameter. Flowers fragrant.
Leaves: Leaves are alternate, palmate, leaf blade highlighted in photo above was 14 cm long by 14 cm across. Leaves with short hairs on top and bottom.
Fruit: Fruit is a spiny gourd, which we measured to 4 cm in length.
Height: Budd's Flora lists stems to 6 m in length.
Habitat: Edges of woodland creeks and riverbanks.
Abundance: Listed as common in Checklist of Vascular Plants of Saskatchewan.
Origin: Native.
When and where photographed: Took these photos August 6th on the banks of the Souris River, about 250 km southeast of our home in Regina, SK.