Each plant can produce hundreds of fruits,[8] which develop at the base of the female flowers (the ovaries are inferior).

[15] The Spanish language common name 'sandita' translates as 'little watermelon';[14] its etymology is sandía 'watermelon' + ita, a suffix used to indicate something is small.

[16][17] Melothria scabra is native to Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico,[i] Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela,[1] where it grows in forests and thickets.

[7] Melothria scabra is susceptible to infection by Pseudoperonospora cubensis,[18][19][20] a plant pathogen that causes cucurbit downy mildew.

[23] Melothria scabra is cultivated as a minor crop for its fruits,[13] which are eaten raw or pickled.