Taxonomy: Fam. Cucurbitaceae// Genus:  Ecballium// Species: Ecballium elaterium (L.) A. Rich.

Determined according to the botanical key provided in The Flora of the Republic of Macedonia (Micevski, 1995).

Lifeform: Perrenial; hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native to Canary Islands, Mediterranean to South European Russia and Iran according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Habitat:  A ruderal plant generally found on disturbed ground in the mountain foot and lowland area- in suburban areas, on wastelands, near roads.

Flowering period: Summer - autumn: JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT.

Ecballium elaterium - habit. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - habit. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - habit. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - habit. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - habit. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - male flowers. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - male flower. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - male flower. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - fruits. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - fruit. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - leaf. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - leaf. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - leaf. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Ecballium elaterium - abaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, village of Beli, 15.08.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens,Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:292573-1 [Accessed 15.08.2021].

Micevski, K. (1995). The Flora of the Republic of Macedonia Vol. I, Book 3. Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts.