I.E.Cock1,2*
1Environmental Futures Research Institute, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia.
2School of Natural Sciences, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia.
Pharmacognosy Communications,2018,8,3,135-136.
DOI: 10.5530/pc.2018.3.28.
Published: July 2018
Type: Medicinal Plant Images
ABSTRACT
Acanthosicyos horridus (commonly known as nara melon) is a member of the watermelon family that grows most prevalently in the coastal regions of the Namib desert, Namibia. It also occurs as far south as Northern Cape province in South Africa and as far north as southern Angola. The fruit can be eaten raw although it contains cucurbitacins (which irritate the mouth) and was traditionally eaten dried. The nuts inside the fruit have been a staple diet of the Topnaar people of the Namib Desert for millennia.1-2 Nara also has uses in traditional medicine. Read more…