A genus of plants known as the 'squirting cucumber' that forcefully ejects its seeds when ripe.
From Greek 'ekballein' meaning 'to throw out' (ek- 'out' + ballein 'to throw'). The name describes the plant's dramatic seed-dispersal mechanism discovered by ancient botanists.
This plant is nature's catapult—when the fruit separates from its stem, internal pressure builds up until seeds literally shoot out up to 20 feet away! Medieval and Renaissance botanists were fascinated by it and gave it a name that literally means 'throwing out.'
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