Acanthosicyos is a genus of thorny shrubs of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae, subfamily Cucurbitoideae.

[1] The genus name derives from the Greek words "akantha" for thorn and "sykios" for cucumber or gourd.

[2] Endemic to the Namib Desert in Africa, this genus is represented by two known species including Acanthosicyos horridus, the nara melon, an important food plant in its native range.

[3][4] Both the Nara and the Gemsbok Cucumber are edible; however, eating unripe fruit is highly inadvisable due to the presence of chemicals which "burn" the throat and esophagus.

The bushmen of the Kalahari eat the Gemsbok Cucumber after it has been roasted in a fire for a couple of hours.