Farmers and local bushmen were amazed to learn that what they believe was the Chinese Wild Ginseng plant was really Psiguria umbrosa, a native species (no common name provided).
Psiguria umbrosa is a climber (Cucurbitaceae) that exists most predominately in Trinidad within moist shaded places, climbing over bushes by rivers, roadside thickets, and disturbed forest areas. The fruit looks like miniature watermelons about 3 cm long.
Marty Condon, a Professor of Biology at Cornell College, Mount Vernon, USA stated that “Psiguria is very closely related to Gurania. Both have size-related sex changes– which makes me curious: in the photo the plant looks small, but it seems to produce fruit. That’s kind of weird– maybe that plant is growing from a bigger underground stem or tuber. It would be good if someone can trace the plant’s stem and find the tuber?”
