The seed is ovoid and compressed with a soft and smooth testa. Ecology and phytogeography S. edule is grown traditionally in many regions of the world. The wild taxa closest to S. edule show a similar distribution of altitudes. since they grow between 50 and 2100 m. The chayote is cultivated in a more intensive way and for commercial purposes in Costa Rica, Guatemala. The range cultivated is minimal and always in accordance with consumer requirements.
Pollination is entomogamous.
Among the most efficient pollinators are species of native bees of the genus Trigona, chiefly in areas of medium and low altitudes and which are free from pesticides. Secondary pollinators include wasps of the genera Polybia, Synoeca and Parachartegus. The fruit of S. edule is viviparous, viz. This characteristic does not occur in any of the wild species, in which the seeds germinate asynchronically after falling to the ground. A possible explanation for the vivipairism of the cultivate species is that the process of domestication may have resulted in suppression of the dormancy mechanisms.