Benincasa hispida
var. pruriens
Polynesian Wax Gourd
‘Ua Roro RR
f.CUCURBITACEAE
Pumpkins
Benincasa hispida
var. pruriens
Polynesian Wax Gourd
‘Ua Roro RR
f.CUCURBITACEAE
Pumpkins
Cook Islands Status Summary
Show Notes
Intl. NamesPolynesian Wax Gourd EN
Local Names‘Ua RoroRR No NameMG
Pacific NamesMelo SAM
Sci. NamesBenincasa hispida var. pruriens (accepted name)
, Benincasa hispida, Benincasa cerifera, Cucurbita hispida
High Tax. Eng.k.Plants, p.Flowering Plants, f.Pumpkins - a vine
High Tax. Latink.PLANTAE, p.ANTHOPHYTA, c.MAGNOLIOPSIDA, sc.DILLENIIDAE, o.Violales, f.CUCURBITACEAE
Natl. PresencePresent
Sth. PresenceRR+MG+AT-MK-MT-AK-PL-MN-TK-
Nth. PresenceTN-MH-RK-PK-NS-SW-
VouchersRR2000
MG2000
Local OriginIntroduced; Polynesian; Maintained
Global RangeNative: se.Asia - Indonesia; Introduced: ancient South Pacific to Marquesas;
HabitatLand; Lowlands, Swamplands, Horticultural Zone
ThreatenedNationally endangered - seriously
InvasivenessNo Content
BiosecurityNo Content
Medical StatusNo Content
Harmful StatusNo Content
UsesMaterial - for artefacts
IdentificationAnnual bristly vine with 2-3-parted tendrils. STEM 5-sided, covered with sharp bristles. TENDRILS split at 3cm into 2-3, each to 15cm. LEAVES alternate, heart-shaped with 5 lobes, to 24x22cm, with bristles; edge scollaped into teeth; stalk to 20cm wimore...th sharp bristles. FLOWERS solitary, sexes separate, yellow, ~flat-faced; petals 5 oval; Male to 7cmØ, 3 stamens 1cm long; Female to 8cmØ style dividing into 3. FRUIT spherical, to 8cmØ, hairy when young, ripens dark green with a white wax, outer layer hard.
Similar SpeciesParent species has fruits round or oblong, large to 35cmØ (vmore...s. 8cm), soft walled (vs hard walled), and larger seeds to 15mm (vs. to 10mm). Common names include: Ash Gourd, Chinese Preserving Melon, Chinese Pickling Melon, Chinese Water Melon, Tallow Gourd, Tunka, White Gourd, Zit-kwa.
Interest NoteThe Wax Gourd of Asia is now cultivated throughout the tropimore...cal world. It produced a large round or oblong, wax-covered, fruit used as a vegetable. In contrast the Polynesian Wax Gourd has a small, round, hard-shelled fruit. It was presumably cultivated by the early Polyneisans and it was used to store coconut oil in Samoa, Tonga, Society Islands and probably the Cook Islands. In Tonga it was called Fangu and used to store scented coconut oil. In Tahiti it was known as Hue Aroro and it was used to store "sweet scented oils" (Davis 1851). In the Cook Islands Savage recorded Ua Roro, literally "egg of the coconut flowers" for a gourd used as a water bootle - in the use he was probably mistaken. Although Raro in Eastern Polynesian now means coconut-flowers, it probably came from Samoa/Tonga Lolo meaning coconut-oil.
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Vernacular Names
no data available
Invasive/Pest Status
no data available
Biosecurity
Citation Information
McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.03.23 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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