HS538

Achoccha— pedata L.1 James M. Stephens2

Achoccha is also called wild cucumber, caihua, and korila. However, it is unlike the viny known as wild cucum- ber in Florida, a weed pest in lawns and around the home with miniature cucumber-like leaves and . Description and Use Achoccha, which is rarely grown in Florida, does produce a trailing , but the leaves are segmented, usually with five further segmented lobes. The vine is stringy, quite long (up to 40 feet), and equipped with tendrils for climbing. The leaves are 4–5 inches wide and divided into several lobes, some of which are further divided into mini-lobes. Fruits produced in Mexico and the Caribbean resemble hollow cucumbers. They are elongated, 4–6 inches long, 2–3 inches wide, and hollow. The spongy pulp contains black seeds Figure 1. Achoccha Credits: James M. Stephens attached to the placenta in a manner similar to pepper. In fact, the fruits are eaten much like pepper pods, often stuffed and cooked, but also eaten raw. Culture Propagation is by seeds, and the are often trellised. Similar soil preparation and fertilization practices as for cucurbits should be used.

This author has not observed it to produce in Florida when seeded in September and maturing in short days of a warm fall.

1. This document is HS538, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date April 1994. Revised August 2015. Reviewed October 2018. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. James M. Stephens, professor emeritus, Horticultural Sciences Department; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.