Plant
- Annual
- Vine or bush-like habit
Stem
- Alternate leaf arrangement
- Vining habit with tendrils
Leaf
- Broadly triangular with pointed lobes
- Rough texture
Flower
- Separate male and female flowers on same plant
- Yellow
- Female has what appears to be small fruit below petals
Fruit
- Size, shape vary by cultivar
- Usually oblong cylinder shape
- Skin may have bumpy or soft spines
- Edible, harvested when immature before seeds harden
