Cucurbitaceae

Telfairia Hook.

First published in Bot. Mag. 54: t. 2751 (1827)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa, Comoros, Madagascar.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Large lianes
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pedately 3–7-foliolate; median leaflet largest
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils proximally bifid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Probracts present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers large, purplish, dioecious Female flowers solitary, larger than male; ovary ribbed; ovules many, horizontal; stigma 3-lobed Male flowers many, racemose; receptacle-tube short, broad; lobes toothed; petals 5, free, fringed; stamens 5 (all 2-thecous, 4 in two pairs with 1 single), free, or the paired stamens ± united, when completely so then stamens 3 (two 4-thecous, one 2-thecous); filaments inserted halfway up the tube; thecae straight or slightly arcuate
sex Male
Male flowers many, racemose; receptacle-tube short, broad; lobes toothed; petals 5, free, fringed; stamens 5 (all 2-thecous, 4 in two pairs with 1 single), free, or the paired stamens ± united, when completely so then stamens 3 (two 4-thecous, one 2-thecous); filaments inserted halfway up the tube; thecae straight or slightly arcuate
sex Female
Female flowers solitary, larger than male; ovary ribbed; ovules many, horizontal; stigma 3-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit very large, fleshy, ribbed, many-seeded, dehiscing by 10 longitudinal valves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds large, broadly ovate or suborbicular in outline, compressed, often enclosed in a fibrous sheath derived from the endocarp
Figures
Fig. 1.
[FTEA]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Lianes.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pedately 3–7-foliolate.
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils proximally bifid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Probracts present.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers large, purplish, dioecious. Female flowers solitary; perianth similar to that of male flower; ovary ribbed; ovules many, horizontal; stigma 3-lobed. Male flowers many, racemose. Receptacle-tube short, broad; lobes dentate. Petals 5, free, fringed with filaments. Stamens 5 or 3, if 5, then all 2-thecous, if 3, then two 4-thecous, one 2-thecous, free; filaments inserted on the receptacle-tube; thecae straight or slightly arcuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit very large, fleshy, ribbed, many-seeded, tardily dehiscent by 10 longitudinal valves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds large, broadly ovate or suborbicular in outline, compressed, enclosed in a fibrous endocarpic sheath.
[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