Telfairia is a small genus of flowering plants in the squash family which are native to Africa.

They include Telfairia occidentalis, the fluted pumpkin, which is an important vegetable in Nigeria and other African nations.

These are woody and herbaceous dioecious vines which bear squashlike fruits that contain large, nutritious oily seeds.

The seeds of T. occidentalis and T. pedata are over 25% protein and 55% oil, making them a good source of nutrition.

[1] One recent concern has been the impact of telfairia mosaic virus, which, along with other problems, is a threat to the already low genetic diversity of plants of this genus.