Foundry and Fall Canyons, Feb 2021

[David_Bricker]

So that gourd's common name is Coyote Melon.  In many native cultures, Coyote is a trickster (sounds a bit like Wile E. Coyote vs. Roadrunner!).  The melon looks good, but apparently tastes AWFUL.  I've not tried.

Not only does it taste awful, but its toxic to humans. 

I've seen them growing in the outback of Australia, but never in Death Valley.

I've seen them in a number of canyons in Panamint Valley; Goler Wash, Surprise, Jail, Snow.  Depending on time of the year, and amount of rainfall, they can be quite prolific, though in a pretty narrow section of each canyon.

David Bricker / SYR