Cucurbitaceae

Zehneria Endl.

First published in Prodr. Fl. Norfolk.: 69 (1833)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical & Subtropical Old World to Pacific.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Small to medium-sized climbers; stems herbaceous, sometimes becoming, when old, thickened, woody and rough-barked at the base, rarely all soon woody with smooth papery bark
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple, petiolate; blade ovate-cordate, triangular or hastate, often palmately lobed, rarely ± succulent
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils simple
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, usually white becoming yellowish with age, monoecious or dioecious Female flowers solitary or in few- to many-flowered sessile or pedunculate shortly racemiform, umbelliform or rarely laxly racemiform clusters, shortly to fairly long pedicellate, sometimes coaxillary with ♂; ovary subglobose to fusiform, smooth, usually glabrous; ovules few to many, horizontal; perianth as in ♂ flower; staminodes 3, usually present; disk prominent, annular, free from receptacle-tube, surrounding base of style, rarely obscure and connate with tube; stigma (2–)3-lobed Male flowers solitary, paired or few to many in sessile or pedunculate racemiform or subumbelliform clusters, pedicellate; receptacle-tube campanulate; lobes small, dentiform; petals small, united at the base; stamens (2–)3(–4), all 2-thecous, either with short arcuate thecae and rather long often hairy filaments inserted in the lower half of the tube, or subsessile on about the middle of the tube with straight subparallel thecae and apically produced connective; disk elevated, free from tube, prominent, very rarely absent
sex Male
Male flowers solitary, paired or few to many in sessile or pedunculate racemiform or subumbelliform clusters, pedicellate; receptacle-tube campanulate; lobes small, dentiform; petals small, united at the base; stamens (2–)3(–4), all 2-thecous, either with short arcuate thecae and rather long often hairy filaments inserted in the lower half of the tube, or subsessile on about the middle of the tube with straight subparallel thecae and apically produced connective; disk elevated, free from tube, prominent, very rarely absent
sex Female
Female flowers solitary or in few- to many-flowered sessile or pedunculate shortly racemiform, umbelliform or rarely laxly racemiform clusters, shortly to fairly long pedicellate, sometimes coaxillary with ♂; ovary subglobose to fusiform, smooth, usually glabrous; ovules few to many, horizontal; perianth as in ♂ flower; staminodes 3, usually present; disk prominent, annular, free from receptacle-tube, surrounding base of style, rarely obscure and connate with tube; stigma (2–)3-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits solitary or clustered, globose to fusiform, small, baccate, red or rarely whitish, smooth, sometimes ± punctate when dry
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds small, elliptic to broadly ovate in outline, lenticular, compressed, with an obscure or sometimes distinct border, narrow or sometimes rather thick grooved edges and a smooth or rarely scrobiculate sometimes depressed convex disk
Figures
Fig. 21, p. 120.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
About 35 species in the palaeotropics.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils simple
Morphology General Habit
Monoecious or dioecious; flowers small Scandent or trailing herbs or rarely softly woody climbers, with ± tuberous rootstocks
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
Hypanthium campanulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, usually white, united below
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens usually 3, all two-thecous, inserted on the middle or base of the hypanthium; filaments short or long; thecae short, straight or slightly curved
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers solitary or in sessile or pedunculate subumbelliform clusters Male flowers solitary or few to many in sessile or pedunculate subumbelliform or racemiform clusters
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary subglobose to fusiform, smooth, glabrous or shortly pubescent; ovules several, horizontal-Hypanthium and perianth similar to those of male flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disc annular, surrounding base of style, rarely inconspicuous Disc prominent, elevated, free from the hypanthium, rarely inconspicuous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas usually 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits solitary or in clusters, small, fleshy, globose to fusiform, red, indehiscent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovate or elliptic in outline, compressed.
[FSOM]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Scandent herbs; stems arising from a somewhat thickened perennial rootstock, eventually becoming more or less woody at the base.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple, petiolate.
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils simple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk basal, elevated, free from the receptacle-tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers solitary, in monoecious species usually co-axillary with male, or few to many in sessile or pedunculate subumbelliform or rarely racemiform axillary clusters, pedicellate; ovary subglobose to fusiform, smooth, glabrous or shortly pubescent; ovules few to many, horizontal; perianth as in male flower; staminodes often present, usually 3; disk annular, surrounding base of style; stigma (2)3-lobed. Male flowers solitary or few to many in sessile or pedunculate racemiform or subumbelli-form axillary clusters, pedicellate. Receptacle-tube campanulate, lobes small, dentiform. Corolla-lobes 5, united below. Stamens 3 or 2, rarely 4, all 2-thecous; filaments very short, inserted on the middle of the receptacle-tube, or elongated and often hairy, inserted on the base of the receptacle-tube; connective shortly produced; thecae straight or slightly arcuate. Flowers small to very small, monoecious or dioecious.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits solitary or clustered, small, baccate, globose to fusiform, smooth, usually red and glabrous when mature.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovate or elliptic in outline, compressed, with narrow or sometimes prominent margins and usually smooth, convex, sometimes depressed disk.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0