Cucumis

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Cucumis

Description

Small or medium-sized annual or subperennial climbers (rarely suberect), leafy stem 1-4 mm diam., plant scabrous or setose; Leaves simple. Flowers yellow, solitary or few-fascicled; Fruit a (large) pepo (fleshy berry), indehiscent, pubescent or glabrous, or with fleshy spines or tubercles, green, yellow or orange (rarely maturing underground in C. humifructus, southern Africa). Seeds numerous, pale, compressed, (narrowly) elliptic, not sculptured, unmargined with entire, acute edge, not winged (or rarely winged).

Distribution

Africa present, Asia-Tropical, Old World present
About 30 species in the Old World, mostly Africa; in Malesia 2 species, widely cultivated.

Taxonomy

According to molecular research () the genus Cucumis should include a number of smaller genera, including Mukia, but for the present purpose we treat Cucumis in the original sense.

Citation

C.B.Clarke 1879 – In: Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 619
Cogn. 1881 – In: A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 479
J.H.Kirkbr. 1993: Biosyst. Monogr. Gen. Cucumis: 19
Miq. 1856 – In: Fl. Ned. Ind.: 670
L. 1754 – In: Gen. Pl.: 442
H.Schaef. 2007 – In: Blumea: 166
W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes 2007 – In: Adansonia: 240
Ghebret. et al. 2007 – In: Novon: 176