WILD WATERMELON, TIMUN DENDANG

As the botanical name suggests it belong to the passion fruit family. This species of Passiflora originated from Tropical America. Now it grows in parts of the Asian countries as if native. The wild watermelon is a small herbaceous climber, possessing a slender hairy green stem with tendrils. The flowers arise singly but it is quite unique, looking like the passion-fruit flower; the main distinguishing character is the presence of pale green moss-like leaves outside the sepals and they persist even when the fruit is ripe. The fruit is rather small and round, green turning to orange when ripe. It is edible and popular among children in the rural areas as it is found growing in wasteland, by the roadsides and scrambling over grass and bushes. In suburban areas it may be found climbing over fence and hedges.