#echinocystis

Колючеплодник лопастный, или Эхиноцистис лопастный (лат. Echinocystis lobata). Ноябрь 24. Wild Cucumber, Echinocystis (lat. Echinocystis lobata). November 24.

Photographs taken on October 7, 2021, along the Culham Trail, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Wild cucumber leftovers.  I’m fond of these guys.  They don’t always do well in my yard--they start growing but get wilty before they can ripen their fruit; maybe it gets too dry for them around August?--but last year one grew alllllll the way up the spruce tree and I was cheering it on.

Прогулка по замерзшей реке. Конец февраля 24. Walk along the frozen river. End of February 24.

Echinocystis is a beautiful vine that can reach a length of up to ten meters. It entwines all neighboring plants, trees, shrubs, and can spread along grasses. Small white-cream flowers form lush clusters with a pleasant honey aroma; bees hover around them during flowering. By the end of summer, unusual prickly fruits appear in place of the flowers. Although these “balls” are covered with spikes, they are quite soft and harmless, and you won’t get stuck on them.

Dense willow thickets braided with Echinocystis (lat. Echinocýstis). August 23.