i don't know what it is called either but i do know that 3 life times ago when i was small and lived in mexico we used to boil this little melons and mix with hot pepper to make a hot sauce.
.that didn't help much, i know, but we called them meloncitos meaning little melons..
gloria_j

I posted my same query in the "Name That Plant" forum, and got my answer, so if anyone is interested: it's a Creeping Cucumber, (or Guadalupe Cucumber) Melothria pendula.

Here is a link that might be useful: melothria pendula

The answer above seems to be what this plant is, but here's another thought. Vine peaches. I've never had this + they're growing ALL over my terrace now since I got a free packet of seeds for placing an order for something else. They also look exactly as you describe. Some are at the yellow stage now, but I haven't picked any yet - want to get them more yellow - and ripe. I can't find a picture of the plant but here's a picture of the ripe fruit -
http://www.gflora.com/zen-cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=52

I, too, have these tiny cucumbers, so I've been doing the same research as RedPoppy (who kindly gave me the answer, thanks!)

Cucumbers are closely related to melons and cantaloupes (you can tell from the very similar traits of the leaves, stems, curly tendrils, smell of the foliage, and diseases they all can catch from each other) and only slightly more distantly from pumpkins and squashes. Melons seem to have originally come from Armenia, while pumpkins and squashes are native to the Americas.

From what I've read, the cultivated cucumber (Cucumis sativus) originated in India. Most websites about cucumbers claim there are "no cucumbers native to the Americas" but to me, this appears untrue.

There are tiny members of the family that are very much like cucumbers, and I personally am having a hard time figuring out why they are not acknowledged to be cucumbers, period.

That's the one called Melothria pendula... it looks like a very tiny, perfect, smooth WATERMELON, about 1 cm. long. But the plant simply oozes "cucumber" - smells like it, tastes like it, has the jelly around the seeds just like it. The only difference is in its Lilliputian size! I eat them in salads when they are light-greenish. If you let them get to fully ripe (Dark green), they do what a normal cucumber does - they get mushy, and the seeds fill out (not good to eat.) But just before actual ripeness, they're tasty. I know a few websites are saying these have a laxative effect, but I haven't experienced any such thing, and I have challenged them to show me where they got that information. We'll see if they respond. These are the ones I believe are being called "meloncitos" above. It's nice to see that others are not afraid of eating these, either.

There are what I would consider two different species being called Melothria pendula, it appears. One gets shiny, curly leaves that don't much resemble a cucumber vine to me, and the fruits look slightly larger and are shaped something like pear tomatoes. These may be the ones where the ripe fruits turn blue-black, and possibly are the ones that are laxative.

As for Cucumis melo, these are the varieties of cantaloupe. The tiny melon some people refer to as "plum granny" or "Queen Anne's Pocket melon" is Cucumis melo var. dudaim - they are said to have a most incredible smell when left on a table, and they were fashionable when our grandmothers were keeping house, hence the name. In Victorian times, and possibly all the way back to the Egyptians, they were carried in the pocket as a body fragrance. As I understand it, they are about the size of a plum, and may have a sweet taste or a bland taste, depending on variety. They turn yellow-orange when ripe, and are considered a noxious invasive weed in 45 states, but are still prized by some as fun heirlooms. I'm thinking these are the "vine peaches" mentioned above.

Also somewhat cucumber-like are the very spiny Echinocystis lobata, native to the U.S., which are inedible.

There. That's more than you ever wanted to know, I'm sure.

Rizzir, i have also eaten the tiny light green fruits. Nothing happened to me, either, but I also know it would take all day to pick enough for a salad. They taste just like regular cultivated cukes.

Melons certainly do exist in the U.S. as a native. I was just in Oregon, where these nifty half-prickly guys grow all over the rock beaches. I have their latin name around here...

I thought that some time ago I read that all Curcurbitas or Melons are edible. Has anyone one else read this or are my synapses crossed?
I think that it was "Seed Saver's Exchange" and "Baker Creek Seeds" that carried a bunch of these things if anyone is interested.

Now to add another question to the melon mixture: I remember a melon grown in the Butterfly Pavillion in the Denver area that looked exactly like miniature watermelons on a fine-textured curcurbitaceous vine on a guard rail. But the odd fact that I remember was that either the fruit or the flowers could be squished to make a very powerful dye. I remember it on some paper; it was something suprising like red, orange, blue, or purple. (This has been years ago!)

James in Hot hot ( 106F new record) Colorado.

It's possible you're describing a Plum Granny or what they used to call Victorian Pocket Melons, as people used to put them in their pockets to disguise their body odor before deoderant. They are useful for adding fragrance in your house or suspended from a string on your front porch. My neighbor introduced me to these, but this year we have had a slim crop because of the lack of rain. They are a pretty plant that looks just like a cucumber plant.

i have a similar plant. it is a vine growing all over my fence. which i believed to be clematis. it has tiny white flowers. i just noticed the other day that it is now covered in what look to be watermelons but they have prickly spikes on them. they are soft and when you open them there are 4 seeds in them that look like pumpkin seeds or white watermelon seeds. any idea what this is?

The melon in the picture.Looks like tigger melon? Karla

So, I have a mystery vine growing on my trellis, too. (Zone 6b) It has vaguely heart-shaped leavesnot as heart shaped as a morning gloryÂand in August it produced clusters of tiny white flowers that smelled wonderful, just like heliotrope. The flowers tended to hang down, not to stick up like a polygonum or silver lace vine. Today I discovered strange fruits hanging down like gourds, except that they're shaped more like fat green bananas, maybe 4" long at present. Does anyone know what this is?

I am wondering if this is any relation to a mystery vine that showed up in my yard this year. Every year we get "vines" growing, I assume due to the number of bird feeders my husband has placed around our home. This year we were blessed with three different vines. On the east side of our home we grew decorative gourds. On the north, we were blessed with two nicely shaped birdhouse gourds. The west....well, that was a DIFFERENT story!! We had a small vine start. Then it started to spread. It had nice little golden yellow, star-like flowers most of the summer, but no fruit appeared. Two weeks ago a friend was visiting who "knows" plants (by the way, she didn't "know" this one!) and while showing her the vine (which by this time had covered aprx. 100 sq. ft.), I lifted some leaves and, much to my surprise, found fruit growing!! It looks like squatty cucumbers, about 3-4" in length, but chubby. The odd thing about their appearance is the sharp barb-like warts all over them. The new growth starts at yellow-green berry-looking things. They then grow into these cukes. Tonight I cut one open (while on the phone with a friend, just in case I was abducted by POD PEOPLE!) and the inside rather looks like a cuke and once fully cut open, smells like a cuke. The REALLY odd thing is the juice. You don't really notice it until it starts dripping from the cut fruit...it turns a VERY dark pink...reminded me of watered down blood!! Okay, okay...too many Halloween movies! It IS that time of year. I would just like to find out what this is and if anyone knows if it is edible? It has become quite famous in our neighborhood and we're all very curious. Any help out there would be appreciated!! Thanks.

I planted cucumber, watermelon, cantaloupe and out of curiosity a package that just said melon (that's Wal-Mart for you) that was supposed to be very sweet. I planted in early April since we've had an unusually warm to hot spring and summer this year. My cucumbers come up right on time and have been producing all season. The melons on the other hand have not come up at all. Which is strange since we first started seeing flowers a little over three months ago. We had a problem with groundhogs all year but set live traps, caught and released them elsewhere in the wild a little over a month ago. Since then our garden has thrived. We've harvested almost everything that is due so far and our melon plants are flowering again, many with small ovaries. Yesterday though we found a melon about the size of a cantaloupe but with color and texture of a watermelon only with long ribs down the length of it and it was more oblong shaped (like an extremely large pear). It looks like a honeydew melon on the inside but tastes like a cucumber. Just like a cucumber! Does anyone have any ideas of where I've gone wrong with my melons? Or is this an extremely large or morphed cucumber? I have pictures for anyone that would like to see it.

Could u send me some seeds from this fruit?
24658 longwood Dr.
#9 reedsport or 97467

The above pictures are exactly what is growing on my fence and it comes back every year. I tasted them too, the darker they are the sweeter they are. I am going to put them in salad.

This is so weird, but I thought I'd share. Its just one of those things, I was searching for something completely different online... UFO's, but i just had happened to have found this tiny cucumber in my backyard today. I brought it in and had it in my pocket to look up later. I was watching this crazy video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GIUbc2iu7Y

When I made it to the 51:45 min mark.

I just so happened to pause the video, Title: (TONS OF UFOS!! You Probably Never Seen! NICE :) UFO 2015)

I looked in the background and I saw a tree that looked like it had watermelon leaves.

And I thought that was so weird.... That prompted me to search on startpage.com for Keyword: (tree with watermelon like leaves) I scrolled down and saw

mystery vine produces tiny 'watermelons' - GardenWeb

forums.gardenweb.com/ discussions/ 2203403/ myster...Proxy Highlight

Jul 19, 2005 ... It has small squash-like leaves, up to 3-4" inches across, and bears long tendrils. It readily climbs up shrubs and into hanging plants, the

The actual link to this page and the plant being discussed. How strange is that?

Anyway so I pulled it out to show

my mother since I identified it, but

Is this similar to what you have? This is supposed to be my cucumber plant but I see these things growing on it. Anyone know if cross pollination is the cause of this? Fuzzy, Green, Round, Weird!

They are probably Mexican Gherkin or Cucamelon

Sounds like the Rainforest Cucumber (Psiguria umbrosa) which has small, watermelon-type fruit and is a favorite of butterflies. http://pacscilife.blogspot.com/2014/06/pollinator-week-wednesday.html

Like a wild cucumber maybe

That's wut they said it was. They full of seeds

Mexican Gherkin or "Mouse Melon"

I have what I was told by the previous owner was small watermelons in one of my raised gardens. I left them and replanted the garden. I just harvested one bc it sounded ripe when thumped, cut it open and it smells like a cucumber inside with white flesh and white seeds. Help?

All of my above photos distorted when posted. The fruit is definitely watermelon shaped.

Is this it? PEPINO BERRY Solanum caripense

Fruits are round berries, to 2cm in size, which ripen to yellow or pale green, with dark-colored longitudinal stripes. The flavor and texture, while similar to the pepino, tends to be tangier and more juicy. Performs best in a warm, relatively frost-free climates.

Sounds like mouse melon. An heirloom cucumber. Great in salads

We have many similar vines with small watermelon-like fruit here in Eugene, Oregon. They are called Manroot or Bigroot or Wild Cucumber. The flowers are star-shaped and white. The fruit was used by the Coast Salish for treating venereal disease and kidney trouble; the Squaxin used the plant to treat aching hands; tand he Chehali applied the plant to scrofula sores. The latin name of the plant is Marah oreganus.

I have a similar plant growing from seeds I planted out of one of Burpees packets that was suppose to be spinach. Not any type of spinach that I know of. Here is the picture of vine & fruit. Looks just like what Sherry has.

Are these what you're looking for. I have them here too and I'm trying to find out what the name of them is and what they are

http://www.eattheweeds.com/creeping-cucumber-melothria-pendula/ Here is what I found that may be helpful.

Son in AZ sent this pic to me as I’m an herbalist but I am in upstate NY- I had no idea but said it looked like my little moon & stars mini watermelon and my mouse cucumber both u usual strains from botanical interest seeds.

"cucamelon"- Melothria scabra, also known as the cucamelon, is a vine grown for its edible fruit. Fruits are about the size of grapes and taste like cucumbers with a tinge of sourness. Vernacular names include mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, cucamelon, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber and pepquinos. Cucamelons are small but pack a healthful punch. They are full of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and fiber, and are also low in calories. The nutrients they provide can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Genus: Melothria

I'd love to get some seeds (hard to find where I am= Canada); if you - or somebody reading this post- can mail them in an envelope pls email me at nkguw7piodi9@opayq.com; thx.

I am sending you a pic. These are growing wild. I have been seeing them growing for a few months and decided to pic one last night.Here is the pic

It’s called a cucamelon they are a mix between cucumber and watermelon there native to Mexico they taste very citrusy

This thread has become completely confused. People have posted pictures of many different plants and there’s a lot of talking at cross purposes. If anyone has a plant they want identified it would be best to start a new thread with clear pictures showing fruit, leaves and including information on location and a scale.

What is this?

Can someone tell me what this is?

OMG, that’s exactly what's happening to me, it looks like a watermelon growing where I have my grape vines.

OMG, that’s exactly what's happening to me, it looks like a watermelon growing where I have my grape vines.

Is this what is being asked about