Bryonia is a genus of flowering plants in the gourd family. Bryony is its best-known common name. They are native to western Eurasia and adjacent regions, such as North Africa, the Canary Islands and South Asia.

The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera. Those most important to humans are the following:Cucurbita – squash, pumpkin, zucchini or courgette, some gourds Lagenaria – calabash, and others that are inedible Citrullus – watermelon and others Cucumis – cucumber, various melons and vines Momordica – bitter melon Luffa – the common name is also luffa, sometimes spelled loofah Cyclanthera – Caigua