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Gerrardanthus macrorhizus

Pregnant Pancake. Rare cucurbit, east African. Eventually forms a caudex to 2+ meters across. Small orange flowers. Good pot subject, sun or shade. OK outdoors in the garden if frost-free. Prune vines if necessary.

3.Indoors OK, Outdoors OK in warm, well-drained position in mild areas.

Nicely filling its bowl.
This one is thirsty in a dry greenhouse....
....it would prefer a garden. This one kept its leaves all thru our wet winters.
....it would prefer a garden. This one kept its leaves all thru our wet winters.
Jan's square one, it has grown into a corner!
Surface of caudex.
Shows the size.
Very rotund young one.
One of our monster mother plants.
Flower and leaf.
Female flower.
Seedpods are unusual for a cucurbit, being dry, not fleshy. These ones hanging here have already opened.
The lower end of an unopened seedpod showing the three valves folded inward, waiting to open when seeds are ready.
Winged seeds which spiral down like sycamore seeds. They only drop out in a wind strong enough to shake them loose. This whole mechanism makes this seedpod one of the cleverest of all.

Gerrardanthus macrorhizus

Pregnant Pancake. Rare cucurbit, east African. Eventually forms a caudex to 2+ meters across. Small orange flowers. Good pot subject, sun or shade. OK outdoors in the garden if frost-free. Prune vines if necessary.

3.Indoors OK, Outdoors OK in warm, well-drained position in mild areas.

Nicely filling its bowl.
This one is thirsty in a dry greenhouse....
....it would prefer a garden. This one kept its leaves all thru our wet winters.
....it would prefer a garden. This one kept its leaves all thru our wet winters.
Jan's square one, it has grown into a corner!
Surface of caudex.
Shows the size.
Very rotund young one.
One of our monster mother plants.
Flower and leaf.
Female flower.
Seedpods are unusual for a cucurbit, being dry, not fleshy. These ones hanging here have already opened.
The lower end of an unopened seedpod showing the three valves folded inward, waiting to open when seeds are ready.
Winged seeds which spiral down like sycamore seeds. They only drop out in a wind strong enough to shake them loose. This whole mechanism makes this seedpod one of the cleverest of all.