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Cucumis metuliferus

(African Horned Cucumber)

Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Danish:

Afrika Agurk

Common Names in Dutch:

Zuiltjesdragende Komkommer

Common Names in English:

African Cucumber, African Horned Cucumber, African Horned Melon, Hedgehog Gourd, Jelly Melon, Kiwano

Common Names in French:

Concombre à Corne, Concombre Africain, Concombre Cornu, Melon à Corne, Melon Porte-Corne

Common Names in German:

Hommelone

Common Names in Italian:

Kiwano

Common Names in Japanese:

Kiwano

Common Names in Portuguese:

Kiwano, Kumbundu, Pepino Africano

Common Names in Spanish:

Kiwano

Description

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Family Cucurbitaceae

The Cucurbitaceae are mostly prostrate or climbing herbaceous annuals comprising about 90 genera and 700 species that are further characterized by commonly having 5-angled stems and coiled tendrils . The leaves are alternate and usually palmately 5-lobed or divided ; stipules are absent. The flowers are actinomorphic and nearly always unisexual . The perianth has a short to prolonged epigynous zone that bears a calyx of 3-6 segments or lobes and 3-6 petals or more frequently a 3-6-lobed sympetalous corolla. The androecium is highly variable, consisting of basically 5 distinct to completely connate stamens that frequently are twisted, folded or reduced in number. The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of 2-5 carpels, generally with one style and as many style branches or major stigma lobes as carpels, and an inferior ovary with one locule and usually numerous ovules on 2-5 parietal placentae or 3 locules with numerous ovules on axile placentae. The fruit is a type of berry called a pepo . -- Gerald Carr.

Genus Cucumis

Annual or perennial , climbing or trailing , monoecious, rarely dioecious herbs. Sterns and leaves mostly scabrid or hispid . Tendrils simple . Leaves variously 3-7-lobed, margin dentate or serrate. Female flowers solitary. Male flowers mostly fascicled. Calyx campanulate , lobes 5, subulate . Corolla yellow, turbinate , rotate or subcampanulate, 5-lobed, lobes mostly oblong or ovate and acute. Stamens 3, free , inserted at the base of calyx, 1-2-celled, filaments short, connectives produced , bifid; pistillode glandular . Ovary ovoid or globose , ovules horizontal, numerous . Staminodes setiform or ligulate . Style short, simple, surrounded by annular disc. Stigmas 3(-5), obtuse , spherical or obovate . Ovary ovoid, ovules numerous. Fruit smooth , echinate or spinous; seeds smooth and compressed , mostly without margin.

A genus of about 25 species, mostly tropical African in distribution. Some are confined to tropical Asia. Two are cultivated almost throughout the world. Represented in Pakistan by 2 wild and 2 cultivated taxa.[1]

Physical Description

Habit: Vine , Forb/herb

Flowers: Flower Color: pale yellow

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Annual

Growth

Culture: Space 18-24" apart.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Cucumis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 1931 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

C. abyssinicus · C. acidus · C. aculeatus · C. acutangula 'Green Glory' · C. acutangulus (Singkwa Towel Gourd) · C. aetheocarpus · C. africanus · C. agrestis · C. albus · C. amarissimus · C. amarus · C. ambigua · C. angolensis · C. anguinus · C. angulatus (Santawi Melon) · C. anguria (West Indian Cucumber) · C. anguria L. var. longaculeatus J.H.Kirkbride (West Indian Gherkin) · C. anguria 'Prickles' · C. anguria var. anguria (: Prickly Fruited Gherkin) · C. anguria var. longaculeatus (West Indian Gherkin) · C. anguria 'West India Gherkin' (Cucumber) · C. angurioides · C. arabicus · C. arenarius · C. argyi · C. aromaticus · C. asininus · C. asper · C. aspera · C. baladensis · C. barbatus · C. bardana · C. bicirrha · C. bipinnatifidus · C. bisexualis · C. bryoniifolius · C. callosus (Bitter Cucumber) · C. campechianus · C. canoxyi · C. cantalupensis · C. cantalupo · C. carolinus · C. cecili · C. chaete · C. chate · C. chinensis · C. chito · C. chrysocarpa · C. chrysocomus · C. cicatrisatus · C. cinereus · C. citrullus · C. clavipetiolatus · C. cognata · C. cogniauxianus · C. colocynthis · C. conomon · C. conomum · C. cordifolius · C. crassiflorus · C. cubensis · C. deliciosus · C. diniae · C. dinteri · C. dipsaceus (Hedgehog Cucumber) · C. dipsaceus 'Wooly Bear' · C. dissectifolius · C. dissectus · C. dudaim · C. echinatus · C. edulis · C. engleri · C. erinaceus · C. eriocarpus · C. erivanicus · C. esculentus · C. ficifolius (Cucumis) · C. figarei · C. flexuosus · C. foetidus · C. fricatorius · C. glaber · C. globosus · C. gossweileri · C. gracilis · C. grossularia · C. grossularoides · C. gurmia · C. halabarda · C. hardwickii · C. hastatus · C. heptadactylis · C. heptadactylus · C. hilapikku · C. himalensis · C. hirsutus · C. homblei · C. homofructus · C. hookeri · C. humifructus

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 22, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. S. Nazimuddin & S. Shaharyar H. Naqvi "Cucumis". in Flora of Pakistan Page 41. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 7/1/2009