What is wild cucumber and how to grow it? Crazy cucumber (photo) planting and care

Crazy cucumber - two different plants with the same name.

Recently I wrote about the exotic momordica, which, among its other names, has the name " squirting cucumber" :

Let me remind you what it looks like and at the same time answer numerous questions about where to buy momordica seeds:

Seeds by mail: Momordica Buy momordica seeds for 50 rubles. with delivery by mail. ferma2.ru

In the process of corresponding with readers, I realized that there is another plant with the same name. I started searching on the Internet.
A chance helped: I found an article in which there was a ready answer: this plant is called the crazy cucumber (Ecballium elaterium). But this is all in order.

SQUIRTING CUCUMBER

RADIC CUCUMBER (Ecballium), a genus of plants in the pumpkin family. The only species is the common mad cucumber (Ecballium elaterium), perennial grass with recumbent or ascending stems and long petiolate leaves, mostly with a heart-shaped blade. Flowers are unisexual, monoecious, yellow, axillary, male in racemes, female solitary. The fruits are 4-5 cm long, stiff-haired, similar to cucumbers. When touched, a ripe fruit instantly breaks away from the stalk, and a stream of sticky mucus with seeds is forcefully thrown out from the hole at its base, sometimes at a distance of up to 12 m from the mother plant.

It grows in dry places in the Mediterranean, southern Europe and Western Asia, in the CIS - in the southern European part and the Caucasus.

A ripe fruit of Ecballium elaterium in a schematic longitudinal section (a) and at the moment of ejection of the fruit pulp with seeds (b). 1 - green outer tissue of the pericarp, 2 - opposing tissue, 3 - stalk

This plant is described briefly in the Biological Dictionary:
http://bioword.narod.ru/B/B154.htm
And now I suggest you read the text of the article I mentioned above. I think this information will interest you.

“Last year they brought me a fruit from Crimea, which they called Indian pomegranate, or crazy cucumber. This year I sowed seeds and received fruits. Please describe this plant and answer whether its fruits are medicinal.

L.V. DORDOLAN.

P. Bakhchevik Telmanovsky district, Donetsk region.

Why mad?

Having leafed through many publications, a mention of a plant called mad cucumber was found only in a small article in the “Big Soviet Encyclopedia"(vol. 3, p. 290). This information served as the starting point for searching for a description of a plant with such unusual name. And what was given in the encyclopedia helped Latin name- Ecballium elaterium. Having such a solid “key,” they discovered a description of this plant and color photographs of it on the Internet.

This is a herbaceous perennial (or annual) plant of the pumpkin family. The stems are prostrate (creeping along the soil surface) or ascending (curly), rigidly rough. The roots are fleshy, the leaves are heart-shaped, and the bottom is gray-tomentose. The flowers are pale yellow, dioecious: males are in racemes, females are solitary. Plants are predominantly monoecious (that is, flowers of different sexes are located on the same plant). The fruits are oblong, up to 6 cm long.

The plant has in an original way scattering of seeds, and therefore the spread of the plant itself. After the seeds ripen, mucus accumulates in the fruits, which, together with the seeds, is forcefully thrown out of the fruits and sticks to an animal or person who touches the ripened fruit. It looks like the madman is shooting out his seeds. For this original ability the plant received its name.

In Ukraine, this plant manages to grow and produce seeds mainly on the southern coast of Crimea.

Healing properties

The plant was very widely used by ancient physicians, as well as modern folk healers in a number of countries. It is used occasionally in scientific medicine and is in the research phase.

The chemical composition of the plant has not been studied enough. In the fruits of the mad cucumber, a- and b- elatherins, elatericin A, B, vitamins C, B1 were identified. Alkaloids and vitamins were found in the grass.

Main properties: laxative, diuretic, anthelmintic.

Its juice, according to Avicenna, was extracted this way. The fruit of the mad cucumber is taken at the end of summer, when it has already turned yellow, and hung on a rag so that the juice flows out of it.

The juice is filtered and dried. The squeezed juice of its roots and leaves is useful for jaundice, it drives urine and menstruation. It relaxes and helps with migraines. A good treatment for lichen: sprinkling with dry powder from crazy cucumber. Enemas with a decoction of mad cucumber help with sciatica. It is used to make a vinegar dressing for gout. Its juice helps with difficulty breathing. Its oil soothes ear pain and removes large and small worms. When applied externally, the juice treats vitiligo, lichen, and tumors. If mad cucumber juice is mixed with milk and dropped into the nose, it will help with black jaundice and chronic headaches. If its juice is mixed with old olive oil, honey and ox bile and lubricated the throat, it will help with diphtheria. If mad cucumber is boiled in sesame oil and applied externally, it will dry out the hemorrhoidal lump. 0.8–1.6 g of mad cucumber is laxative. But it is harmful to the lungs. Its dose per reception is up to 3 g, and for an enema - up to 4.4 g. It should be used with medicinal plants such as orchis, sabur, anise, parsley seeds.

In modern folk medicine of Central Asian countries, the juice of the unripe fruits of the mad cucumber is used as a strong laxative and diuretic for edema, dropsy, fevers, sciatica, and worms. Externally, mad cucumber juice is used in the treatment of abscesses and hemorrhoids.

In Chinese folk medicine, decoctions of the fruits and roots of the plant are used in the treatment of malignant diseases.

Studies of modern scientific medicine have shown that elatherin, the main active ingredient of mad cucumber, in small doses has a laxative, diuretic, and anthelmintic effect. External use of mad cucumber juice is irritating to the skin.

The Bulgarian herbalist Stoyanov (1972) successfully used extracts of mad cucumber in the treatment viral hepatitis. Externally, fresh grass juice was used as a distraction for sciatica, neuralgia, and rheumatism.

The plant is very promising. According to Chinese doctors, mad cucumber fruit extracts have an antitumor effect. Encouraging results have been obtained from the use of mad cucumber in the treatment of AIDS.

Attention!!!

It should be noted that the plant is poisonous. When taken internally, even a small amount may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and drowsiness."

So we met two “mad” cucumbers, so different from each other. I hope you can do it right choice when purchasing momordica seeds. Just, I ask you, when purchasing, do not ask the seller for mad cucumber seeds in order to avoid misunderstandings.)) All the best to you, my friends!
Until next time.
Ugolieok

A plant with such an unusual name - “mad cucumber” (Latin Ecballium elaterium), loves warm climates. It can be found in some Mediterranean countries, Asia, Crimea and the Caucasus. This perennial is considered a weed. Its favorite places of growth: coastal sea zone, roadsides, landfills.

Belongs to plants of the Pumpkin family. Yours interesting name it received thanks to the ability to eject seeds from fruits with lightning speed. This herbaceous perennial has a rather thick, fleshy, whitish root. The stems of the mad cucumber are recumbent or ascending and reach a length of up to one and a half meters.

The leaves are large, heart-shaped, rigidly drooping, rough, with thick and succulent cuttings. Blooms in July. The bright yellow flowers are usually arranged singly on the stem.

The fruits have green color and ovoid shape. When ripening, pressure arises inside them (up to 6 atmospheres), and at the slightest touch they tear off the stalk and shoot out a stream of seeds with mucus. The range of such a flight can reach 12-15 meters.

Chemical composition

Research into the elemental composition of the plant is still ongoing. Today it is known that crazy cucumber is rich in: alkaloids, glycosides (elatherines, elathericins A and B), sterols, nitrogen-containing compounds, fatty and organic acids, proteins. Also found in its composition are carotenoids, triterpenoids, vitamins C and B1.

Medicinal value

It has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Even ancient doctors and healers used green fruits, juice and stems, worms, dropsy, hepatitis and joint pain.

Centuries-old folk practice has also recorded that the mad cucumber has diuretic, decongestant, absorbent and bactericidal properties. Fresh plant juice is used to treat abscesses, fistulas and hemorrhoids.

And in Ancient China decoctions of stems, ripe fruits and roots successfully fought against various tumors and cancers. Successfully used internally and externally.

Modern healers prepare preparations from the plant and recommend them for internal use in the treatment of kidneys, edema, malarial fever, jaundice, viral hepatitis, and some female diseases. A decoction of mad cucumber stems relieves headaches, gastrointestinal colic and diarrhea.

External use of dosage forms is recommended for skin diseases, rheumatism, gout, sciatica, and sinusitis. An oil is prepared from the fruits of Ecballium elaterium, which is used to lubricate varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Recent pharmacological studies of the plant have yielded encouraging results for the treatment of AIDS. There are many known traditional medicine recipes. Let's look at some of them.

Recipes for treating various ailments

The ripe fruit is dried, crushed into powder, which is then sprinkled on skin rashes, lichen, non-healing scars and eczema.

1. Squeeze juice from green fruits and mix with barley flour. The dosage form in the form of a lozenge is applied to abscesses and pimples. The skin will soon clear up.

2. The juice is mixed with apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 2:1, soaked in a bandage, squeezed a little and applied to the sore joint.

3. Juice from the green fruit, mixed with milk, relieves a lingering runny nose, treats sinusitis and relieves headaches.

4. Juice is used to treat otitis media. It eliminates pain and has an antibacterial effect. Its flowers are used for this.

5. The juice is mixed in equal parts with unrefined vegetable oil and honey. For sore throat, purulent sore throat, gum disease, inflammation of the mouth and tongue, it is recommended to lubricate the palate and diseased tissues with this composition throughout the day.

6. This is how you treat sinusitis. The juice is diluted with water at the rate of: for 2 drops of juice – 8 drops of cold boiled water. A few drops of the composition are injected into each nostril just once or twice a day.

7. For inflammation in the kidneys, bladder and swelling, drink an infusion of herbs. To do this, the dried and crushed stems of the plant are poured with boiling water in the calculation: 1 teaspoon - a cup of water. Infuse in a thermos or under the pillow. Take a teaspoon 20 minutes before meals.

8. An herbal infusion treats helminthic infestations. Drink it 3 times a day, one spoonful on an empty stomach. The same remedy is used to treat fever, malignant tumors and fibroids.

9. A strong infusion of mad cucumber stems is used externally for joint pain, rheumatism, neuralgia, gout and fungus.

10. Oil from unripe fruits is used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. A spoonful of chopped fresh “cucumbers” is poured with vegetable oil (80 ml). Heat for 15 minutes in a steam bath. Let it cool. Lubricate the external nodes near the anus. It can also be successfully treated varicose veins veins in the legs.

11. Alcohol tincture Dry fruits are used to rub joints and muscles. It relieves pain from rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica. For 30 grams of plant mass take 500 ml of vodka. They insist. After two weeks, filter and use no more than 3 times a day.

Be careful, poison!

Applying mad cucumber to medicinal purposes, you should know that this plant is poisonous. It is necessary to use dosage forms with it very carefully. It is prohibited to use the drugs by pregnant women.

It is also recommended to wear rubber gloves when preparing preparations from a fresh plant. The juice causes skin burns. Before use folk remedies You should consult your doctor with this plant.

The mad cucumber belongs to the pumpkin family and is an annual plant. Its Latin name is Ecballium elaterium. The habitat in our country occupies the Caucasus, the south of the European part of Russia, territories close to the border with Kazakhstan, where the mad cucumber prefers sandy soils with good drainage.

Reactive plant

Actually, a mad cucumber is a common herbaceous plant large in size, with a thick fleshy root, small rough stems with large leaves. Blooms bright yellow flowers, collected in inflorescences of several pieces, or single. During the ripening process, the inside of the fruit is converted into mucus, which, due to the action external factors begins to ferment and release gas. By the time the cucumber is ripe, the pressure created by this process can reach 8 atmospheres.

If the cucumber is overripe, it is torn from the stem. Gas and mucus create a jet stream, with the help of which the fruit, spinning wildly, making incredible somersaults, scatters seeds around. The radius of the seed distribution zone can reach 20 meters. Using this method, the plant can expand its zone of life activity over a large area.

To eat or not to eat?

It should be noted that this plant, despite the similarity in name with all known vegetables, is not eaten. Moreover, it is poisonous. The mad cucumber contains a lot of different substances, most of which have a toxic effect on humans. For example, the pulp of a mad cucumber includes compounds such as steroids, alkaloids of various organizations, organic acids and other elements. All of them are harmful to humans when consumed.

However, many gardeners plant the plant on their plots to use it as part of traditional medicine. Preparations made using its derivatives have a local antibacterial, laxative effect, and help cure helminthiasis. The stems, inflorescences, leaves and dried roots of the plant are used for medicinal purposes. Herbalists recommend using infusions and decoctions with mad cucumber, but only in cases where the patient does not have problems with the stomach or intestines.

To grow a crazy cucumber, you need to choose a well-lit area of the garden that is located on a hill. After all, this plant needs warmth to a greater extent than many others.

Fight the mad cucumber

Not all countries recognize the benefits of crazy cucumber. In Belarus, the plant is considered a weed, and a real war has been declared on it. It started when local scientists, trying to develop a new silage crop, brought the seeds of the plant into the country. The effect was the opposite. The milk of animals that ate the mad cucumber began to taste bitter. Meanwhile, all attempts to peacefully get rid of the weed were in vain. The mad cucumber burned people's skin, destroyed crops, showing amazing vitality.

Kira Stoletova

Wild cucumber is unusual look crops of the pumpkin family. It gained popularity due to its ability to throw out seeds. And also for its unpretentiousness in care and resistance to disease.

Used by gardeners for decorative purposes and in folk medicine. This poisonous plant, so you need to be extremely careful with it.

Characteristics of the variety

The culture got its name thanks to in an interesting way reproduction. It is also called echinocystis or prickly carp. Crazy cucumber is an annual herbaceous plant. It is the only representative of this species. Momordica is the most famous variety. From North America, was brought to Europe in the 19th century. Now distributed in the Azores, in the Mediterranean, in the south of Russia and Ukraine, in Asia Minor and Central Asia.

In the wild it is found near roads and in garbage areas. Can be seen as a weed near the sea.

Description of the bush

The crop looks like a vine. It develops quickly and stretches upward along the support. Length of shoots up to 6 m, in good conditions can reach 10 m. The stem of the plant is without tendrils. It spreads along the ground and has small fibers on its surface. The root is white, thick, fleshy.

Description of the leaves: alternate arrangement on the petioles, heart-shaped or triangular in shape. They have teeth along the edges. The top is green, the bottom is wrinkled, grayish-felt. Size 5-10 cm, can reach 20 cm. Petioles are fleshy, their length is 5-15 cm.

The flowers of the Crazy Cucumber are regular, pale yellow. They are unisexual, monoecious, rarely dioecious. The flower has the shape of a corolla, five-parted. There are five stamens, four of which are fused, the fifth is placed separately. Pistil of three carpels with an inferior ovary. The aroma is pleasant, reminiscent of gardenia. Therefore, the plant attracts insects, especially bees. This significantly increases the yield of garden and garden crops. Flowering occurs in July-September.

Description of the fruit

After flowering, juicy fruits are formed. The color is green or bluish-green, the shape is ovoid. Length from 3 to 6 cm, width - 1.5-2.5 cm. The seeds are dark brown, their surface is smooth, length is about 4 mm. They have spiny bristles. The skin is thin. Ripening occurs in August. Then the fruits acquire yellow. If you touch them, the seeds shoot out. This is due to high pressure, which is formed inside (up to 6 atmospheres). Because of this, the plant received its name. The seeds of the Crazy Cucumber spread up to 6 m, spraying mucus all around. This is how culture multiplies.

If the ripe fruit is not touched, it falls off from the dried stalk. A hole is formed through which the seeds come out.

The fruits of the mad cucumber can be eaten only when they are young, at 10 days of age. When more mature, they are very bitter. Before use, they are soaked in salt water for 10-12 hours. The procedure can be repeated until the bitterness goes away. The skin must be removed. The pulp is used to make salads or stewed.

The Crazy Cucumber plant is also used in the medicinal practice of traditional medicine. After all, he has beneficial features, thanks to its valuable composition. Scientists are still studying them today. These wild fruits are known to contain:

alkaloids;
glycosides (elaterins, elatericins A and B);
sterols;
nitrogen-containing compounds;
fatty and organic acids;
proteins.

The presence of carotenoids, triterpenoids, vitamins C and B1 has been proven.

Our ancestors used not only green fruits, but also stems with juice for medicinal purposes. Used for diseases such as worms, dropsy, hepatitis and joint pain. It also has antitumor, diuretic, decongestant, absorbent and bactericidal properties. Fresh plant juice is useful for abscesses, fistulas and hemorrhoids. When preparing it, you should wear gloves to avoid burns.

It is necessary to use medicines prepared on the basis of Crazy Cucumber under the supervision of a doctor and monitor your well-being. Do not take them during pregnancy or breastfeeding. An overdose can lead to nausea, dizziness, vomiting, abdominal pain, and rapid pulse.

Growing

Momordica loves sunny places, but can grow in partial shade. Does not tolerate drafts. Planted near supports along which the vine will climb. It is worth considering that it has the ability to spread to other plants that are located nearby.

The most suitable soil for growing crops should have the following properties:

water permeability;
ease;
neutrality or slightly acidic.

Loamy or sandy soils meet these criteria. If the composition of the soil is not suitable for cultivation, it can be improved. To neutralize high acidity, liming is carried out.

Planting in open ground

Momordica is planted by sowing immediately in open ground, so seedling method. You can buy seeds at the store or prepare them yourself. To do this, the fruit is placed in a bag and shaken. The content remains there. The seeds are washed. Sometimes they are simply collected when the plant shoots up. But then most of them will fly away in an unknown direction.

Wild cucumber seeds can be planted in the ground even in the fall. They tolerate winters well and germinate well thanks to cold stratification. They must be soaked first. But it is better to plant after the end of frost. This is around the beginning of May.

The planting site is moistened. The distance between bushes should be 30-50 cm.

Growing seedlings

The preparation of the Mad Cucumber plant seed should begin in April from scarification. To do this, rub the tip of each seed with sandpaper, since their shell is very hard. Then pour in a warm solution of potassium permanganate. Leave for several days. To germinate seeds, they are placed in a box with wet sawdust or on a bandage or gauze moistened with water. The room temperature should be at 25˚C.

After small roots appear, the seeds are planted in cups that are filled with soil mixture. To prepare it, take in equal proportions:

leaf soil;
peat;
humus;
river sand.

Place 2 seeds in each glass in order to later remove the weaker sprout. The vessels are left at home or placed in the greenhouse. The main thing is to be warm.

Seedlings are planted on permanent place at the end of May. Water generously.

Care

Growing a Crazy Cucumber doesn't require much effort. It is planted on their plots for decorative purposes. They decorate balconies, house walls, gazebos, and make fences. In one to two months it grows, greening the desired surface. wild plant adapts well to different conditions environment.

It can sow itself because it shoots seeds over long distances. Therefore, it does not always grow in the desired places. When young, the sprouts are easy to pull out and remove from the area. Also, the roots disappear during the winter, so you should not be afraid of the strong spread of the crop.

Watering

In addition to the sun, moisture is an important factor for the growth of prickly carp. With normal natural moisture does not require additional watering. But in dry weather it is necessary to produce it in moderation. You can water it together with other crops.

Garter

In order to provide the crop with the necessary lighting, it is equipped with vertical trellises. Then the plant will not fall and break. If it is used to shade gazebos or other buildings, it does not need to be tied up. After all, it will cling to structures.

Top dressing

Although the common mad cucumber is not fussy to care for, it is beautiful view and rapid development add fertilizers. If selected seedling method growing, then fertilizing is carried out for the first time when it is planted in a permanent place. This is done at the end of May at the beginning of July. Give half a shovelful of humus to each planting hole.

Possible cultivation of the plant at home. This could be a window sill, loggia or glazed balcony. But then they bring in mineral fertilizers, which are bought in specialized stores.

"Mad Cucumber" is an informal name for several plants in the Cucurbitaceae family. Our fences, trees, shrubs and hedges are often covered with annual Echinocystis lobata. It is unpretentious and quickly masters any territory where the seed ends up. Is it worth fighting the fast-growing annual herbaceous vine How about a weed or let it grow on the site? After all, it is truly decorative. Is it safe to use Echinocystis lobes as medicinal plant or consider it poisonous?

Echinocystis lobes, known as the "mad cucumber"

Why did the “mad cucumber” get such a name?

Echinocystis lobed, or lobed, spinous, belongs Pumpkin family. Popularly this annual plant better known as the "mad cucumber". The name of the plant comes from the Greek words “hedgehog” and “bubble”. The peel of the “cucumber” is covered with soft spines, which is why Echinocystis is also called “ thorny»

Echinocystis seeds were brought to Europe from North America. There the plant felt at home and spread to Far East. It can be found in nature not only along river banks, along roads, but also in forests.

Leaves. Light green leaves prickly carp slightly rough. They are often three-lobed or five-lobed. Stems up to 6 meters long cling to any support with tenacious spirals of tendrils.

Leaves of Echinocystis loba ("mad cucumber", prickly carp)

Flowers. Fragrant flowers small, white or light cream. They are collected in clusters of inflorescences. The aroma is delicate, honey. Flowering continues from July to August.

Inedible pot-bellied, prickly “cucumbers” (up to 6 cm long) appear in late summer. At first they have a bluish tint. There are only two cavities inside with two seeds in each. Seeds shoot out from a ripe “cucumber” under pressure from accumulated moisture and mucus, which is stronger in damp summers. They fly several meters in different directions. The dried fruit resembles a tiny washcloth.

The fruits of the “mad cucumber” against the background of the green wall of an old barn

Growing and decorative

Echinocystis prefers light soils. Doesn't like sour things. It grows not only in well-kept areas, but also in wastelands. You can often see shrubs entwined with thorny plants. Especially along rivers. “Mad cucumber” feels great in a sunny place, not bad in partial shade.

This cold-resistant plant, which grows well in fairly warm, but not very hot summers. The “mad cucumber” does not attract pests.

Unpretentious fast growing plant most decorative during flowering. It can be safely used in the design of a wide variety of vertical structures. The competitor weaves around fences, pergolas and is able to cover unsightly places on the site.

The flowers of the “mad cucumber”, collected in inflorescences, are beautiful and fragrant

For many people, the aroma of flowers causes headaches and weakness. In this case, echinocystis is not the most best plant for decorating gazebos or verandas. It is not recommended to stay near him for a long time.

Children love green “hedgehogs”, which they can play with and make dolls, animals, etc. out of them.

Reproduction

"Mad cucumber" is a monoecious plant. It reproduces by hard, oblong-oval, dark seeds, reminiscent of watermelon. Each “cucumber” contains four seeds, the germination rate of which is very high.

The prickly fruit of the “mad cucumber”

Sowing is best done in the fall in the year the seeds ripen. Storing seeds reduces the germination rate.

Seedlings appear quickly and begin to rapidly climb up any support. Outwardly, they look like cucumber or squash. Our first “mad cucumber” was successfully transplanted by me from a vacant lot to a fertilized garden bed. Many years have passed since then. Now this loach has settled in the area, grows weeds and sprouts in places where it is not visible at first.

Weed or not?

The lobed prickly carp actively develops new regions, often running wild when it finds itself in abandoned areas or in nature.

We have a “mad cucumber” on our site. I don't like that Echinocystis grows quickly among hops. Many long shoots, light green foliage and whitish inflorescences spoil the overall impression of a wall of hops with beautiful dark green foliage and armfuls of golden honey “cones”. If you miss the moment, the thorny vines climb onto the branches of trees and bushes. Even hedges made from carefully selected shrubs suffer from the “mad cucumber”.

“Mad cucumber” on a hazel (hazel) bush

Neighbors also suffer with this plant, which from time to time sprouts among the girl’s grapes.

They say that the milk of cows and goats that often ate the “mad cucumber” can taste bitter.

Use of "mad cucumber" in folk medicine

Inedible “cucumbers” contain toxic substances. ethnoscience Only with great caution does it allow the use of some parts of the plant (after preliminary preparation of the raw materials) for medicinal infusions and decoctions. The thorny plant contains toxins that can harm the human body. Therefore, you should not risk putting fruit juice into your nose when you have a runny nose, although they write that this method of treatment really helps some people. Herbalists advise diluting the juice with water beforehand.

I would not allow children to play with the funny fruits of this plant, because... There are known cases of damage to delicate skin by fresh thorny juice.

R.B. Akhmedov, practitioner traditional healer and a plant expert warns:

« The plant is poisonous and requires careful handling. Mad cucumber is contraindicated for pancreatitis, diseases of the stomach and intestines with a tendency to loose stools, during pregnancy, as well as for people with a weak heart. Use herbal juice and infusion only as recommended by herbalists."(book "Plants - your friends and foes").

Self-medication can be dangerous because... properties of this interesting plant have not yet been studied.