Cucumis maderaspatanus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1012. 1753; Bryonia althaeoides Seringe; B. cordifolia Linnaeus; B. scabrella Linnaeus f.; Coccinia cordifolia (Linnaeus) Cogniaux; Melothria althaeoides (Seringe) Nakai; M. maderaspatana (Linnaeus) Cogniaux; Mukia althaeoides (Seringe) M. Roemer; M. scabrella (Linnaeus f.) Arnott.

Plants scandent or prostrate, all parts densely yellow-brown hispid. Stems many branched, robust, sulcate. Leaf blade somewhat rigid, ovate or ovate-cordate, 5-9 × 5-9 cm, usually 3-5-lobed, median lobe ovate-triangular, both surfaces scabrous, base cordate, margin irregularly denticulate, apex slightly obtuse. Tendrils moderately robust. Male flowers fascicled; pedicels short or absent; calyx tube campanulate, ca. 2 × 1.5 mm; segments reflexed, subulate, 1-1.5 × ca. 1 mm; corolla yellow; segments ovate-oblong, ca. 2 × 0.5 mm, apex obtuse; filaments short, ca. 0.5 mm, slightly pilose; anthers oblong, ca. 1 mm, ciliate; connective distinct; rudimentary ovary globose. Female flowers solitary or 3-5-fasciculate. Fruiting pedicels extremely short; fruit dark red, globose, ca. 1 cm in diam., smooth. Seeds ovate, ca. 4 × 2.5 mm, ca. 2.5 mm thick, both surfaces scrobiculate, indistinctly marginate. Fl. Apr-Aug, fr. Aug-Dec.

Rocky mountain slopes, thickets; 400-1700 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Taiwan, Yunnan [tropical Africa and Asia, Australia].