Prickly Paddy Melon (Cucumis Myriocarpus) A Small Green Fruit With Dark Green Stripes : (pix Sanjiv Shukla) Royalty-Free Stock Photo

Prickly paddy melon (Cucumis myriocarpus), also known as gooseberry cucumber, gooseberry gourd, paddy melon or Mallee Pear, is a prostrate or climbing annual herb native to tropical and southern Africa. It has small, round, yellow-green or green-striped fruit with soft spines, small yellow flowers and deeply lobed, light green leaves. The melon occurs in disturbed soil and cleared or bare areas, and thrives on summer moisture.