Cucurbitaceae

Cyclantheropsis Harms

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 23: 169 (1896)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa, Madagascar.

Descriptions

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967

Morphology General Habit
Climbers with tuberous rootstock; stems herbaceous, becoming woody when older
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils apically bifid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, greenish-yellow, dioecious, regular Male flowers in many-flowered axillary panicles; receptacle-tube very shallow; lobes and petals small; disk basal, surrounding the staminal column; thecae 2, each in the form of a semicircle, apical on a short central column and forming a single split horizontal ring Female flowers in rather few-flowered axillary panicles or racemes; ovary compressed, 1-locular; ovule solitary, pendulous; perianth as in ♂ flower; disk basal, 3-angled; styles 3, very short, inserted on the disk
sex Male
Male flowers in many-flowered axillary panicles; receptacle-tube very shallow; lobes and petals small; disk basal, surrounding the staminal column; thecae 2, each in the form of a semicircle, apical on a short central column and forming a single split horizontal ring
sex Female
Female flowers in rather few-flowered axillary panicles or racemes; ovary compressed, 1-locular; ovule solitary, pendulous; perianth as in ♂ flower; disk basal, 3-angled; styles 3, very short, inserted on the disk
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit compressed, samaroid, one-seeded, elliptic in outline
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed elliptic, compressed, rather large
Figures
Fig. 26, p. 149.
[FTEA]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Scandent herbs, stems becoming woody when old, arising from perennial tuberous rootstock.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple, petiolate.
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils apically 2-fid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
male flowers in lax, many-flowered, axillary paniculoid fascicles. Flowers small, greenish-yellow, dioecious, regular. female flowers in rather few-flowered axillary fascicles; ovary compressed, one-locular; ovule solitary, pendulous; perianth similar to that of male flower; disk 3-angled, basal; styles 3, very short.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle-tube very shallow, lobes 5, small.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, free, small.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens united into a single central column, inserted on the basal disk; thecae 2, semi-circular, horizontal, apical on the short central column, forming a split horizontal ring.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit compressed, samaroid, one-seeded, elliptic in outline.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed elliptic in outline, compressed, rather large.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0