Buffalo gourd or Stinking cucumber or Coyote melon

Botanical Name	Cucurbita foetidissima
Common Name	Buffalo gourd, Stinking cucumber, Coyote melon (Some Indians considered the fruit suitable only for coyotes.)
Family	Cucurbitaceae - Gourd
Description	An ill-smelling, perennial plant bearing large, rough, gray-green, triangular leaves on long trailing stems. It bears hard, round, striped, pale and dark green fruit which are yellow when ripe.
Mature Size	Stems are 20' or longer.
Bloom	July-Sept. Flowers are solitary, yellow, funnel-shaped and 2"-3" wide.
Interesting Facts	Roots may weigh over 100 pounds. It is a foul-smelling and foul-tasting plant.
Traditional and Medicinal Uses	Fruits are sometimes collected, painted and used as ornaments. Indians and pioneers used the crushed roots and gourds as a cleansing agent. Pueblo Indians used crushed gourds or leaves in water as an insect repellant on squash plants in gardens. The leaves were rubbed on the body to repel insects. The ground up root was an antidote for snake bite and also was used as a laxative by Tewa people.

Santa Fe Botanical Garden celebrates, cultivates and conserves our rich regional botanical heritage and biodiversity. www.santafebotanicalgarden.org