It isn’t often that a plant makes me leap in the air and then erupt into giggles, but that is exactly what happened last week we came across ‘Pepino-de-São-Gregório’. Had no idea what exactly they were at the time, although I deduced they were some sort of gourd from the flowers and leaves. Then I saw the seed pods and was so intrigued that I couldn’t resist touching them. And that is when it all happened. MrB says my face was a picture! Here are a couple of videos we took after I had regained my composure.
Their scientific name is Ecballium elaterium, and their English name Squirting Cucumber which exactly describe their appearance and behaviour.
Just look again at that first video of the seeds, they are being squirted.The second video demonstrates the speed of the action as well as the fruit pod firing off in the opposite direction to the seeds. The videos don’t quite get across the drama of the moment when you experience this for yourself in person, but hopefully you have got a feel of why they are also called ‘Exploding Cucumbers’.
Whilst common in the Mediterranean they are more localised in the Algarve. You will usually find them on sandy waste ground, we spotted these though on the embankments and paths surrounding the ‘newer’ castle in Alcoutim.