Would you feed this? Cucurbita palmata

RosemaryDW

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I’m just going to ask @Iochroma in from the beginning. :)

This is a plant that is native to parts of California, Baja California, and Arizona; also known as Coyote Gourd or Coyote Melon. It is sold by at least one desert tortoise seed source but there isn’t a direct line to it as a tortoise food source. Seems likely but I can’t find it in writing.

We have it growing locally; I assume ours is Cucurbita californica.

I’m not saying that I’m going to feed it; just wondering if I could. The flowers and fruits look familiar but the leaves just don’t look right to me, probably because they are so gray. I know that’s not a good reason but it’s the one I’ve got!

Open to any and all thoughts.

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ascott

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I’m just going to ask @Iochroma in from the beginning. :)

This is a plant that is native to parts of California, Baja California, and Arizona; also known as Coyote Gourd or Coyote Melon. It is sold by at least one desert tortoise seed source but there isn’t a direct line to it as a tortoise food source. Seems likely but I can’t find it in writing.

We have it growing locally; I assume ours is Cucurbita californica.

I’m not saying that I’m going to feed it; just wondering if I could. The flowers and fruits look familiar but the leaves just don’t look right to me, probably because they are so gray. I know that’s not a good reason but it’s the one I’ve got!

Open to any and all thoughts.

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So....I would imagine that this is not a savory or yummy smelling edible.....I researched a bit and found that it is used for soap products and that the "stench" is likely not a desirable smell to make anything want to eat or consume it....so???? I would not have high hopes for this as a food item....but hey, who knows right?
 

Tom

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We have that here too and I recall finding out it was toxic when I researched it years ago.
 

RosemaryDW

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We have that here too and I recall finding out it was toxic when I researched it years ago.

Really? It looks somewhat like jimson weed to me, which is a nightshade—bad. But this one is in the melon family.

Maybe I just never noticed before moving here, which is odd, given that I lived in the semi desert before.
 

Tom

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Really? It looks somewhat like jimson weed to me, which is a nightshade—bad. But this one is in the melon family.

Maybe I just never noticed before moving here, which is odd, given that I lived in the semi desert before.
I'll take a pic of the one we have here. Maybe I've mis-identified it. Its all over the place and seems to survive and thrive in summer when there is no rain, no moisture and no humidity. I don't know how this plant lives and grows with no water while everything around it dries up and dies. Its weird.
 

Markw84

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That is certainly in the genus Cucurbita. That is the same genus as the squashes and pumkin - and those are ones we feed leaves to our tortoises.

To me this one, you pictured, is C foetidissima. It is also know as a coyote gourd or buffalo gourd. A very xerophytic plant that does very well with little water. The California Poison Control database lists this as a "safe" genus of plants. Seems like it would be a great possible tortoise food as it grows so well in drier conditions we all have here! Everything I can find leads to it being safe and possible a good addition. Would love to know more about it!
 

RosemaryDW

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I'll take a pic of the one we have here. Maybe I've mis-identified it. Its all over the place and seems to survive and thrive in summer when there is no rain, no moisture and no humidity. I don't know how this plant lives and grows with no water while everything around it dries up and dies. Its weird.

This one is jimson weed. Also grows with no water and is perhaps even uglier. And definitely toxic to mammals.

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RosemaryDW

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Seems like it would be a great possible tortoise food as it grows so well in drier conditions we all have here! Everything I can find leads to it being safe and possible a good addition. Would love to know more about it!

Perhaps we’ll try it. It’s got pretty stiff hairs on it which tends to throw her off. She’ll eat watermelon stems and leaves which are also fairly stiff, but not with gusto.
 

Iochroma

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I agree with C. foetidissima
I cannot find any specific records of poisoning from this species or the other, but I would avoid out of superabundance of caution. Typically plants in this group are intensely bitter. The internal flesh of a completely ripe fruit is certainly eaten by some animals, but I could not determine which.
 

RosemaryDW

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I’m not super cautious and she’s not anti-bitter but I think it’s got enough marks against it at this point that we’ll skip it. It’s not like she’s missing any variety in her life. :)

Thanks to all for the feedback!
 
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