How the poisonous squirting cucumber got its name

Name: How the poisonous squirting cucumber got its name
Uploaded: 2024-11-20T08:30:10Z
Duration: 45 s
Description: Learn about the unusual seed dispersal of the squirting cucumber ( Ecballium elaterium ).

Learn about the unusual seed dispersal of the squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium).

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

How the poisonous squirting cucumber got its name
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Transcript

The squirting cucumber is a poisonous relative of the edible cucumber.
The squirting cucumber is so-called because of its unusual form of rapid plant movement.
When ripe, the fruits pop off the end of their stems. They then forcibly eject their mucilage-covered seeds in an explosive stream. This unusual adaptation is thought to aid in seed dispersal.
Although native to the Mediterranean region, the plant is grown as a curiosity in many places.