- Family:
- Cucurbitaceae Juss.
- Genus:
- Cucumis L.
Cucumis metulifer E.Mey. ex Naudin

[FWTA]
Cucurbitaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954
- Morphology General Habit
- A yellow-flowered annual climber
- Morphology Leaves
- Foliage like that of the cucumber
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit pendulous, scarlet when ripe, with stout spines.
[FSOM]
M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS
- Morphology General Habit
- Trailing or scandent annual herb to 5 m; stems densely setose
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blade ovate to broadly ovate, deeply cordate, sinuate-deticulate, hispid-setulose becoming scabrid-punctate, 3.5–12 x 3.5–13.5 cm, palmately usually shortly (3–)5-lobed, lobes broadly triangular to ovate or elliptic; petiole 2–11.5 cm long, densely patent-setose
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Monoecious
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
- Hypanthium 3.5–6 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Sepals filiform, 1.5–5 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Petals yellow, 6–13 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Female flowers solitary Male flowers solitary or in 2–10-flowered clusters
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
- Ovary ellipsoid, 9.5–25 mm long, covered with large soft spines
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
- Perianth as in male flowers
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit oblong-cylindrical, rounded at the ends, 6.5–13 x 3.5–6.5 cm, covered with stout fleshy spines, mottled green, bright red when ripe
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
- Pedicel 2–7 cm long, little or not expanded towards the apex Pedicels 0.5–3.5 cm long Pedicels 3–16 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds narrowly ovate in outline, 5–9 mm long, fibrillose.
- Distribution
- S3 tropical Africa, Yemen, sometimes cultivated.
- Ecology
- Altitude c. 100 m.
[FTEA]
Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967
- Morphology General Habit
- Annual climbing or trailing herb; stem hispid with spreading hairs.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blade broadly ovate-cordate in outline, hispid-hairy especially on the nerves beneath, sinuate-toothed, 32–90 mm. long, 43–100 mm. broad, unlobed or usually palmately 3–5-lobed; lobes triangular or rounded, less often ovate, obtuse to rounded and apiculate; petioles long-spreading hispid-hairy, 37–100 mm. long.
- sex Male
- Male flowers 1–4 in sessile or up to 10 mm. pedunculate groups; pedicels 2–18 mm. long; receptacle-tube pale green, 3–6 mm. long; lobes filiform, 1.5–4 mm. long; petals yellow, 6–13 mm. long, 2–8 mm. broad, united in lower third.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Female flowers on 20–60 mm. long stalks; ovary pale green with numerous large darker green fleshy spines each tipped by a broad-based hair, 10–26 mm. long, 3.5–12 mm. across; receptacle-tube 3–5 mm. long; lobes filiform, 2–4 mm. long; petals 8–15 mm. long, 4–10 mm. broad, united below. Male flowers 1–4 in sessile or up to 10 mm. pedunculate groups; pedicels 2–18 mm. long; receptacle-tube pale green, 3–6 mm. long; lobes filiform, 1.5–4 mm. long; petals yellow, 6–13 mm. long, 2–8 mm. broad, united in lower third.
- sex Female
- Female flowers on 20–60 mm. long stalks; ovary pale green with numerous large darker green fleshy spines each tipped by a broad-based hair, 10–26 mm. long, 3.5–12 mm. across; receptacle-tube 3–5 mm. long; lobes filiform, 2–4 mm. long; petals 8–15 mm. long, 4–10 mm. broad, united below.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit on a stout 20–60 mm. long stalk, which is not expanded upwards, ellipsoid-cylindrical, obscurely trigonous, 60–110 mm. long, 30–61 mm. across, spiny with rather stout broad-based scattered fleshy spines each tipped with a broad-based bristle, deep greenish grey becoming orange-red with obscure longitudinal stripes of small pale markings, rather softly fleshy.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds elliptic in outline, 7–9 × 3.5–4 × 1–1.5 mm.
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodland and bushland, wooded grassland and grassland; 820–1800 m.
- Distribution
- north tropical Africa from Nigeria eastwards to the Sudan Republic and Ethiopia, also Congo Republic, south tropical Africa, Transvaal, Natal, South West Africasometimes cultivated elsewhere K2 T3 T4 T5 T7 T8 U1
[FZ]
Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978
- Morphology General Habit
- Annual; stems prostrate or scandent, to 5 m., strongly patent-setose.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-lamina 3·5–12 × 3·5–13·5 cm., ovate to broadly ovate or subpentagonal in outline, cordate, hispid-setulose especially on veins beneath, becoming scabrid-punctate, margins sinuate-denticulate, palmately and usually rather shortly (3)5-lobed, lobes shallowly triangular to ovate or broadly elliptic, rounded to subacute, shortly acuminate, apiculate, very rarely lobulate; basal sinus deep, broad, subrectangular.
- Morphology Leaves Petiole
- Petiole 2–11·5 cm. long, strongly patent-setulose.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers monoecious. Female flowers solitary, sometimes co-axillary with male; pedicel 5–35 mm. long; ovary 9·5–25 × 7·5–10 mm., ellipsoid, covered with large soft spines; perianth similar to that of male flower. male flowers solitary or 2–10 in usually sessile fascicles; pedicels 3–16 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 3·5–6 mm. long, lobes 1·5–mm. long. Petals 3–11 mm. long, yellow or pale orange.
- sex Male
- male flowers solitary or 2–10 in usually sessile fascicles; pedicels 3–16 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 3·5–6 mm. long, lobes 1·5–mm. long. Petals 3–11 mm. long, yellow or pale orange.
- sex Female
- Female flowers solitary, sometimes co-axillary with male; pedicel 5–35 mm. long; ovary 9·5–25 × 7·5–10 mm., ellipsoid, covered with large soft spines; perianth similar to that of male flower.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit 6·5–13 × 3·5–6·5 cm., oblong-cylindric, rounded at the ends, bluntly trigonous, ornamented with stout fleshy spines, dark green mottled paler grey-green or yellow, becoming bright red when ripe; fruit-stalk 2–7 cm. long, strongly spiculate, ridged, not or only slightly expanded at the apex.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds 5·1–7·4 × 3·0–3·7 × 1·0–1·1 mm., narrowly ovate in outline, compressed, with rounded margins and depressed or slightly convex faces, smooth, sericeous-fibrillose.
Native to:
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Cameroon, Central African Repu, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe
Introduced into:
Alabama, Florida, Queensland, Venezuela
- English
- Bitter wild cucumber, Horned cucumber, Jelly melon
Cucumis metulifer E.Mey. ex Naudin appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 1, 2002 | Alison [66], Botswana | K000809268 | No | ||
May 1, 2001 | Alison [655], Botswana | K000809267 | No | ||
Jan 1, 1996 | Carvalho [4060], Equatorial Guinea | K000731910 | No | ||
Jan 1, 1995 | Carvalho [4060], Equatorial Guinea | K000731909 | No | ||
Jan 1, 1973 | Brummitt, R.K. [10300], Malawi | K000809266 | No | ||
Tweedie, E.M. [2037], Kenya | 1719.000 | No | |||
Milne-Redhead, E. [11224], Tanzania | 18786.000 | No | |||
Tanzania | 32842.000 | No | |||
Milne-Redhead, E. [11302A], Tanzania | 4629.000 | No | |||
Kerfoot, O. [3604], Uganda | 6934.000 | No | |||
Hemming, C.F. [2011], Somalia | 8083.000 | No | |||
Tweedie [2067], Kenya | 8084.000 | No | |||
Kolberg, H. [589], Namibia | K000809279 | No | |||
Renvoize, S.A. [2140], Tanzania | 64031.000 | No | |||
Hobson, S.R. [2045], Swaziland | K000809278 | No |
First published in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 4, 11: 10 (1859)
Accepted by
- Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
- Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Edwards, S., Tadesse, M. & Hedberg, I. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 2(2): 1-456. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
- Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Figueiredo, E., Paiva, J., Stévart, T., Oliveira, F. & Smith, G.F. (2011). Annotated catalogue of the flowering plants of São Tomé and Príncipe Bothalia, A Journal of Botanical Research 41: 41-82.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2015). Flora of North America North of Mexico 6: 1-468. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
- Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
- Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
- Hutchinson, J., Dalziel, J.M. & Keay, R.W.J. (1954-1958). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 1-828.
- Jeffrey, C. (1967). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Cucurbitaceae: 1-156.
- Keraudren-Aymonin, M. (1975). Flore d'Afrique Centrale (Zaire-rwanda-Burundi), Cucurbitaceae: 1-152. Jardin Botanique National de Belgique.
- Kral, R., Diamond, A.R., Ginzbarg, S.L., Hansen, C.J., Haynes, R.R., Keener, B.R., Lelong, M.G., Spaulding, D.D. & Woods, M. (2011). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Alabama: 1-112. Botanical reseach institute of Texas.
- Launert, E. (ed.) (1978). Flora Zambesiaca 4: 1-658. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Lebrun, J.-P., Audru, J., Gaston, A. & Mosnier, M. (1972). Catalogue des Plantes Vasculaires du Tchad Méridional: 1-289. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
- Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo) Taxonomania 30: 1-307.
- Peyre de Fabregues, B. & Lebrun, J.-P. (1976). Catalogue des Plantes Vascularies du Niger: 1-433. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
- Thulin, M. (ed.) (1993). Flora of Somalia 1: 1-493. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Wood, J.R.I. (1997). A handbook of the Yemen Flora: 1-434. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Literature
Flora of West Tropical Africa
- Chev. Bot. 292.
- Cogn. & Harms in Engl. Pflanzenr. Cucurbit. 2: 146
- —F.T.A. 2: 543
Kew Backbone Distributions
- Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
- Figueiredo, E., Paiva, J., Stévart, T., Oliveira, F. & Smith, G.F. (2011). Annotated catalogue of the flowering plants of São Tomé and Príncipe Bothalia, A Journal of Botanical Research 41: 41-82.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2015). Flora of North America North of Mexico 6: 1-468. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
- Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
- Hutchinson, J., Dalziel, J.M. & Keay, R.W.J. (1954-1958). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 1-828.
- Kral, R., Diamond, A.R., Ginzbarg, S.L., Hansen, C.J., Haynes, R.R., Keener, B.R., Lelong, M.G., Spaulding, D.D. & Woods, M. (2011). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Alabama: 1-112. Botanical reseach institute of Texas.
- Lebrun, J.-P., Audru, J., Gaston, A. & Mosnier, M. (1972). Catalogue des Plantes Vasculaires du Tchad Méridional: 1-289. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
- Peyre de Fabregues, B. & Lebrun, J.-P. (1976). Catalogue des Plantes Vascularies du Niger: 1-433. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
- Thulin, M. (ed.) (1993). Flora of Somalia 1: 1-493. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Flora of Somalia
- Flora Somalia, Vol 1, (1993) Author: by C. Jeffrey & M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- A. Meeuse in Bothalia 8: 68 (1962).
- Burtt Davy, Man. Fl. Pl. Ferns Transv. 1: 228 (1926).
- Exell, Cat. Vase. Pl. S. Tomé: 186 (1944).
- F. W. Andr., The Flowering Plants of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 1: 172 (1950).
- Hiern, Cat. Welw. Afr. Pl. 2: 397 (1898).
- Hook. f. in Flora of Tropical Africa 2: 543 (1871).
- Hutch. & Dalz., Flora of West Tropical Africa 1: 182 (1927)
- Keay, Flora of West Tropical Africa ed. 2, 1: 213 (1954).
- Naud. in Ann. Sc. Nat., sér. 4, 11: 10 (1859).
- R. & A. Fernandes in Mem. Junta Invest. Ultram., sér. 2, 34: 94 (1962).
- Sonder in Fl. Cap. 2: 495 (1862).
- Stuhlmann in Deutsch Ost-Afrika 10: 137 (1909).
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Flora Zambesiaca
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Flora of Somalia
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Flora of Tropical East Africa
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