Other shapes they can grow in include flattened like a pumpkin, round, and ribbed.
They have glossy skin. At markets, the skin may be coloured anywhere from white to greenish-yellow. In fact, the skin for all colours usually starts out white, at which stage they are harvested. If allowed to grow further, the white would develop into other colours.
In cooking, they are typically chopped, cooked, then mixed into dishes.
Many African varieties have a bitter taste.
Language Notes
Aka “igba” or “ikanin” in the Yoruba tongue in Nigeria, “gboma” in various parts of West Africa. In Ghana, it goes under names such as “aworoworo”, “obolo”, “asurowia”, “asusuapin”, and “antropo.”
Called “ngilo” in Swahili; “nakasuga” or “nakati” in Uganda; “njilu” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In Thailand, where they tend to have pale greenish skin, they are called “makhuea pra.”
Sources
Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables, page 139.