Coccinia adoensis (A. Rich.) Cogn.

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Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Cleveland Dam, Harare

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Greystone Park Nature Reserve

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Rusape-Juliasdale road near London Store.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Twentydales Extn, Epworth, Harare.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Paul Hulley plantations, southern Vumba.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba road at Eagle School turn-off.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba road at Eagle School turn-off.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near main road, Maleme Dam, Matobo National Park.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhancuco, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhancuco, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Mark Hyde
National Botanic Garden, edge of lake

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhahomba area, Chimanimani National Reserve

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Luwawa Forest Reserve, Viphya, Mzimba.

Coccinia adoensis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Luwawa Forest Reserve, Viphya, Mzimba.

Detailed records: Display species records QDS maps by: Google Maps Point records by Google Maps

Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Coccinia roseiflora Suess.
Momordica adoensis A. Rich.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Perennial climber with annual stems, growing from a tuberous rootstock. Leaves extremely variable, from broadly ovate or pentagonal to deeply palmately 3-5 lobed, almost hairless, except for scattered hairs along the veins or shortly pubescent throughout; margins serrate. Tendrils simple. Flowers axillary, unisexual; male 4-20 together; female solitary. Corolla similar in both sexes, pale creamy yellow, salmon-pink or orange; lobes obovate, pointed, 1-3 cm long, united above the middle. Fruit ellipsoid-cylindric,often shortly beaked, surface smooth, orange-red, sometimes remaining greenish towards the base.
Type location:
Syntypes from Ethiopia
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: adoensis: from Aden, Arabia
Habitat: Woodland and grassland.
Altitude range: (metres) Up to 1900 m
Flowering time:Oct - Jan
Worldwide distribution: Tropical Africa from Ghana east to Sudan and south to South Africa
FZ divisions: B,N,W,C,E,S
Zambian distribution (Provinces): Cb,N,E,Lk,S,W
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated: Sunday 29 April 2012
Literature:

Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 200. as Coccinia palmata (Includes a picture).

Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 90 - 91. (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 135. (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 14.

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 9.

Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 51.

Fabian, A. & Germishuizen, G. (1997). Wild Flowers of Northern South Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeburg. Pages 412 - 413. (Includes a picture).

Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 238. (Includes a picture).

Jeffrey, C. (1978). Cucurbitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Pages 446 - 447.

Jeffrey, C. & Fernandes, R.B. (1986). 80. Cucurbitaceae Flora de Moçambique Junta de Investigaçoes de Ultramar, Centro de Botanica Pages 51 - 54. (Includes a picture).

Keraudren-Aymonin, M. (1975). Cucurbitaceae Flore d'Afrique Centrale Jardin Botanique National de Belgique, Bruxelles Pages 83 - 85.

Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa Page 162. (Includes a picture).

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 38.

Maquet, P. & Lawalree, A. (1985). Asteraceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume III Page 476.

Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 90.

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 44.

Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 57. (Includes a picture).

Pooley, E. (1998). A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Natal Flora Publications Trust. Durban. Pages 308 - 309. (Includes a picture).

Reekmans, M. (1983). Cucurbitaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume II Page 476.

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 52.

Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 205.

Van Wyk, B. & Malan, S. (1988). Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Witwatersrand and Pretoria Region Struik, Cape Town Pages 128 - 129. (Includes a picture).


Other sources of information about Coccinia adoensis:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Coccinia adoensis
Flora of Burundi: Coccinia adoensis
Flora of Caprivi: Coccinia adoensis
Flora of the DRC: Coccinia adoensis
Flora of Malawi: Coccinia adoensis
Flora of Mozambique: Coccinia adoensis
Flora of Rwanda: Coccinia adoensis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Coccinia adoensis

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Coccinia adoensis
African Plant Database: Coccinia adoensis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Coccinia adoensis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Coccinia adoensis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Coccinia adoensis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Coccinia adoensis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Coccinia adoensis
JSTOR Plant Science: Coccinia adoensis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Coccinia adoensis
Plants of the World Online: Coccinia adoensis
Tropicos: Coccinia adoensis
Wikipedia: Coccinia adoensis


Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Nicholas Wightman, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-26

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wightman, N., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2026). Flora of Zambia: Species information: Coccinia adoensis.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=157450, retrieved 20 May 2026

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