Native Plants
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Apodanthera undulata
Apodanthera undulata A. Gray
Melon Loco
Cucurbitaceae (Cucumber Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: APUN
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
A malodorous, grayish, hairy plant with long, coarse, prostrate stems bearing tendrils, kidney-shaped leaf blades, and yellow, funnel-shaped flowers. The mature melons are green and have raised, longitudinal ridges.
The melons taste so bad you would have to be loco to eat one.
From the Image Gallery
No images of this plant
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Vine
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Fruit Type: Pepo
Size Notes: Trailing up to 10 feet.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: AZ , NM , TXNative Distribution: Southern Arizona east to western Texas and south to Mexico.
Native Habitat: Sand dunes, gravelly flats, grasslands, and roadsides.
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Benefit
Warning: Plants with the word loco ("crazy") in their common names are usually poisonous to some degree, and should not be ingested by humans or animals; several contain behavior-altering toxins.Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Apodanthera undulata in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Apodanthera undulata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Apodanthera undulata
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-05-31Research By: TWC Staff