Photo by Jeffrey Makala Dr. John Nelson

Is this a cucumber from a garden of bad dreams? Not at all, but it is a marvelous member of the melon family or cucurbitaceae. It’s edible, reputed to have a number of medicinal properties, and easy to grow in your garden.

This is one of about 40 or so closely related species which are all native to tropical Africa. They are mostly viny and like to climb. This particular one has ridged fruits equipped with plenty of bumps which can sometimes grow to be a foot long.

The fruits start out green and edible, but as they grow they become extremely bitter. The fruit wall changes from green to a bright creamy orange and, ultimately, the fruit will split open and peel back revealing fascinating seeds, each one layered with a brilliant red, thick, soft, gooey covering which is sweet.

Photo by Allison Weakley When the ripened fruit is fully opened, it makes a flamboyant exhibition, attracting birds which eat up the seeds and, therefore, move the plants around. The seeds have nicks around their margins like they’ve been chewed or bitten. In fact, the genus name for this plant comes from the Latin verb meaning “to bite.” But don’t eat the seeds. They are probably a bit poisonous. This species is now widely cultivated around the world, and is sometimes seen as a vegetable in specialty markets.

This illustration represents something of a mystery. It depicts one of 32 watercolors painted between 1765 and 1775, now in the Rare Books and Special Collections in the Thomas Cooper Library at USC. The paintings featuring plant life, insects, and fishes were all donated to USC in 1991 by Ethelind Pope Brown, who acquired them in 1952. Who painted them is uncertain, but they may represent the work of John Laurens (1754–1782), son of Henry Laurens, one of SC’s founding fathers.

John, a fascinating historical figure in his own right, was a Revolutionary War veteran and war–time confidante of George Washington. He developed a keen interest in drawing and natural history as a youth. The originals represent some of the earliest known garden and natural history collections for SC. Mark Catesby’s art is earlier, from the 1730s, and is maintained in Windsor Castle in England. The paintings are extremely delicate but are being made available for on–line display in September. For additional information on this collection, contact USC’s Thomas Cooper Library at 803-777-0296.

Answer to last week’s mystery plant

Blue–leaf hypericum, Hypericum frondosum; small one is dwarf

hypericum, Hypericum mutilum

Dr. John Nelson is the curator of the USC Herbarium.

To learn more about the Herbarium, call him at

777-8196. His department also offers free plant identification.

www.herbarium.org