Scientific Name: Sicyos australis

Common Name: star cucumber

Family Classification (Clade): Eudicots

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Threatened Species Status: Rare

Permit: It is an offence to collect, disturb, damage or destroy this species unless under permit.

Form Description: Scrambling herb with rough, broad, stalked leaves and slender stems, 1-4m long.

Flowers: Flowers are greenish, either male or female and 5-7cm diameter. Male flowers are found on the stem, and female flowers occur in small dense clusters on short flower stalks.

Fruit: Leathery, 1mm long and covered densely with barbed prickles.

Municipality
Flinders
Plant Communities
Coastal Vegetation
Habitat Notes

Coastal shrubbery on rocky limestone ground and coastal grasslands on alkaline sand, Inner Sister Island. The species was historically collected from eastern Flinders Island.

Frost Tolerance

Tender

General Notes

Seedlings are very susceptible to grazing by garden snails in cultivation.

Propagation Calendar

  • Flowering Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Seed Collecting Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Sowing Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Cutting Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Impractical Propagation material is too difficult to collect or conditions for propagation or cultivation are too specialized.

Seed Information

Seed Collection

Propagation from seed.