Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

Synonyms

Cucumis colocynthis L.

Family

Cucurbitaceae

Common Names

bitter apple, bitter paddy melon, colocynth, colocynth melon, vine-of-Sodom, wild gourd

Origin

Native to northern Africa (i.e. from Morocco to Egypt) and Asia (i.e. from Israel eastward to Iran, India and parts of tropical Asia).

Naturalised Distribution

Widely naturalised in the inland parts of Australia (i.e. in northern and western Queensland, western New South Wales, throughout much of Western Australia and South Australia, in the southern and central parts of the Northern Territory, and in north-western Victoria).

Also naturalised in other parts of the world, including southern USA (i.e. Texas).

Notes

Colocynth (Citrullus colocynthis) is an environmental weed in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Victoria. this species is common in disturbed inland areas, particularly on floodplains in semi-arid regions. In Western Australia it can be found it a wide variety of habitats including open woodlands, grasslands, river beds and banks, flood plains, on bare areas and road verges and in disturbed and undisturbed natural vegetation.