Acanthosicyos naudinianus, known as the Gemsbok cucumber, is a perennial African melon with edible fruits and seeds.

[3] The leaves are typically deeply palmately 5-lobed and alternately arranged, while the stem may reach 6 meters in length.

It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.

[2] The fruit, which is 4-12 centimetres long and covered in spines, starts out green and becomes a pale yellow when ripe.

[6] The fruit is edible, but eating it before it is ripe will cause a burning sensation in one's mouth.