- Family:
- Cucurbitaceae Juss.
Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

[FSOM]
M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS
- Morphology General Habit
- Trailing perennial herb to 3 m or more; rootstock tuberous
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blade elongate-ovate in outline, stiff, scabrid, 2.5–11 x 2.5–6.5 cm, palmately deeply 3–5-lobed, the lobes deeply pinnately lobulate, petiole 1–7 cm long, retrorsely hispid or scabrid
- Morphology General Tendrils
- Tendrils usually simple
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Sepals lanceolate, 2–4 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Petals greenish-yellow, obovate, 8–15 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Female flowers solitary Male flowers solitary
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
- Ovary subglobose
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
- Hypanthium very short Hypanthium broadly obconic, 1.5–2.5 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
- Perianth like that of male flowers
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit subglobose, smooth, green, longitudinally mottled with darker green, ripening yellow, 5–12 cm in diam.; flesh white, very bitter
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
- Pedicel up to 5.5 cm long Pedicel 10–45 mm long Pedicel 8–20 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds ovate in outline, dark brown, smooth, 6–10 x 3.5–5 x 2–2.5 mm.
- Distribution
- N1, 3; C1 semidesert areas of northern Africa, tropical Asia and Australia.
- Ecology
- Altitude range 0–1000 m.
- Vernacular
- Unun (Somali).
[FTEA]
Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967
- Morphology General Habit
- Perennial trailing herb with somewhat woody tuberous rootstock; stems angled, shortly hairy when young becoming scabrid.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blade ± elongate-ovate in outline, distinctly scabrid-hairy beneath, smooth except on the nerves above, 26–110 mm. long, 24–66 mm. broad, palmately deeply 3–5-lobed; lobes pinnately lobulate, with the central lobe longest, long-ovate in outline; petiole 8–60 mm. long, rather densely rough-hairy.
- Morphology General Tendrils
- Tendrils simple, less often bifid.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
- Probracts lanceolate-elliptic, 4–5 mm. long, caducous.
- sex Male
- Male flowers on 8–20 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube broadly obconic, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, green; lobes lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long; petals greenish-yellow, ± 8–9 mm. long and 5 mm. broad, united below.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Female flowers on 10–45 mm. long pedicels; ovary hairy, subglobose, 7–9 mm. long, 5–8 mm. across; receptacle-tube short; lobes lanceolate, 3–5 mm. long; petals 6–10 mm. long, 4–6 mm. broad. Male flowers on 8–20 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube broadly obconic, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, green; lobes lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long; petals greenish-yellow, ± 8–9 mm. long and 5 mm. broad, united below.
- sex Female
- Female flowers on 10–45 mm. long pedicels; ovary hairy, subglobose, 7–9 mm. long, 5–8 mm. across; receptacle-tube short; lobes lanceolate, 3–5 mm. long; petals 6–10 mm. long, 4–6 mm. broad.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit on a stalk up to 55 mm. long, subglobose, smooth, green longitudinally striped or mottled with yellow or rather uniformly yellow when ripe, 50–120 mm. or more in diameter, firm-walled, fleshy.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds ovate in outline, smooth, 6.5–10 × 3.5–5 × 2–2.5 mm.
- Figures
- Fig. 5/6–7, p. 45.
- Habitat
- Semi-desert bushland and grassland; 600–770 m.
- Distribution
- tropical and subtropical north Africa and Asia, in the semi-desert regions from the Atlantic Is. eastwards to Afghanistan and Pakistan K1
[FWTA]
Cucurbitaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954
- Morphology General Habit
- Prostrate or climbing herb
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit globose, about 21/2 in. diam., intensely bitter.
Native to:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Chad, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Greece, Gulf States, India, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sicilia, Sinai, Socotra, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Western Sahara, Yemen
Introduced into:
Alabama, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bulgaria, California, Corse, East Aegean Is., Hungary, Italy, Massachusetts, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Paraguay, Primorye, Queensland, Romania, South Australia, Texas, Transcaucasus, Uzbekistan, Victoria, Western Australia
- Citrullus colocynthis subsp. insipidus (Pangalo) Fursa
- Citrullus colocynthis subsp. stenotomus (Pangalo) Fursa
- Citrullus colocynthoides Pangalo
- Citrullus pseudocolocynthis M.Roem.
- Colocynthis officinalis Schrad.
- Colocynthis vulgaris Schrad.
- Cucumis bipinnatifidus Wight ex Naudin
- Cucumis colocynthis L.
- Cucumis colocynthoides Pi.Savi
- Cucurbita colocyntha Link
Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 1, 2016 | Hooker, J.D. [133], Cape Verde | K001134352 | Yes | ||
Sandwith, N.Y. [2821], Libya | 18784.000 | No | |||
Niger | 51303.000 | No | |||
Wickens, G.E. [3061], Sudan | K000731876 | No | |||
Carter [1934], Sudan | K000731874 | No | |||
Ash [3325], Ethiopia | K000731879 | No | |||
Vogel, T. [23], Cape Verde | K001134353 | Yes | |||
Vogel, T. [26], Cape Verde | K001134366 | Yes | |||
Carter [1969], Sudan | K000731882 | No | |||
Gilbert, M.G. [2544], Ethiopia | K000731878 | No | |||
Blinkworth, R. [Cat. no. 6732], India | Cucumis colocynthis | K001124683 | Yes | ||
s.coll. [Cat. no. 6732], Bangladesh | Cucumis colocynthis | K001124682 | Yes | ||
s.coll. [Cat. no. 6732] | Cucumis colocynthis | K001124681 | Yes |
First published in Linnaea 12: 414 (1838)
Accepted by
- (1982). Flora of Australia 8: 1-420. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
- Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
- Andersen, J.S. (1977). Flora Iranica 123: 1-14. Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz.
- Audru, J., Cesar, J. & Lebrun, J.-P. (1994). Les Plantes Vasculaires de la République de Djibouti. Flore Illustrée 1: 1-336. CIRAD, Départerment d'Elevage et de Médecine vétérinaire, Djibouti.
- Authier, P. & Covillot, J. (2011). Catalogue actualisé des plantes de l'île de Rhodes (Grèce) Saussurea; Travaux de la Société Botanique de Genève 41: 131-170.
- Barry, J. P. & Celles, J.S. (1991). Flore de Mauritanie 1: 1-359. Centre Regional de Documentation Pedagogique, Nice.
- Boudet, G., Lebrun, J.P. & Demange, R. (1986). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Mali: 1-465. Etudes d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux.
- Boulos, L. (2000). Flora of Egypt 2: 1-352. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
- Daoud, H.S. in Al-Rawi, A. (1985). Flora of Kuwait 1: 1-224. Alden Press Ltd., U.K.
- 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.
- Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1972). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 4: 1-657. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
- Delipavlov, D. & Cheshmedzhiev, I. (eds.) (2011). Opredelitel na rasteniiata v Bulgariia: 1-590. Akad. Isd. Agrar. Univers. Plovdiv.
- Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2011). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 3: 1-449. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
- Dobignard, A., Jacquemoud, F. & Jordan, D. (1992). Matériaux pour la conaissance floristique du Sahara occidental et l'Anti-Atlas méridional. II. Leguminosae à Compositae Candollea 47: 397-481.
- 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.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2015). Flora of North America North of Mexico 6: 1-468. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
- Ghazanfar, S.A. (1992). An Annotated Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Oman and their Vernacular names Scripta Botanica Belgica 2: 1-153.
- Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
- Jeanmonod, D. & Schlüssel, A. (éd.) (2012). Notes et contributions à la flore de Corse, XXIV Candollea 67: 293-321.
- Jonsell, B. & Karlsson, T. (eds.) (2010). Flora Nordica 6: 1-298. The Bergius Foundaton.
- Kozhevnikov, A.E., Kozhevnikov, Z.V., Kwak, M. & Lee, B.Y. (2019). Illustrated flora of the Primorsky Territory, Russian Far East: 1-1124. National institute of biological resources.
- 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.
- Llewellyn, O.A., Hall, M., Miller, A.G., Al-Abbasi, T.M., Al-Wetaid, A.H., Al-Harbi, R.J. & Al-Shammari, K.F. (2011). Important plant areas in the Arabian peninsula: 4. Jabal Aja Edinburgh Journal of Botany 68: 199-224.
- Mateos, M.A. & Valdés, B. (2009). Catálogo de la flora vascular del Rif occidental calizo (N de Marruecos). I Selaginellaceae - Rosaceae Lagascalia 29: 105-257.
- Meena, S.L. (2012). A checklist of the vascular plants of Banaskantha district, Gujarat, India Nelumbo 54: 39-91.
- Miller, A.G. & Morris, M. (2004). Ethnoflora of Soqotra Archipelago: 1-759. The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
- Nazimuddin, S. & Naqvi, S.S.H. (1984). Flora of Pakistan 154: 1-56. Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi.
- 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.
- Rebnner, S.S. & Pandey, A.K. (2013). The Cucurbitaceae of India: Accepted names, synonyms, geographic distribution, and information on images and DNA sequences PhytoKeys 20: 53-118.
- Schischkin, B.K. & al. (eds.) (1954). Flora Turkmenii 6: 1-402. Turkmenskoe gosudarstvennoe izd., Ashkhabad.
- Shaheen, H., Qureshi, R., Akram, A., Gulfraz, M. & Potter, D. (2014). A preliminary floristic checklist of Thal desert Punjab, Pakistan Pakistn Journal of Botany 46: 13-18.
- Sikarwar, R.L.S. (2014). Angiosperm diversity assessment of Chitrakootthe legendary place of Vindhyan range, India Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 38: 563-619.
- Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) in Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2012). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 3(2): 1-623. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
- Thulin, M. (ed.) (1993). Flora of Somalia 1: 1-493. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Townsend, C.C. & Guest, E. (eds.) (1980). Flora of Iraq 4(1): 1-628. Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform, Baghdad.
- Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1968). Flora Europaea 2: 1-469. Cambridge University Press.
- Vvedensky, A.I. (ed.) (1961). Flora Uzbekistana 5: 1-667. Izd-va Akademii nauk Uzbekskoi SSR, Tashkent.
- Wood, J.R.I. (1997). A handbook of the Yemen Flora: 1-434. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Zuloaga, F.O. & Belgrano, M.J. (eds.) (2017). Flora Argentina. Flora vascular de la República Argentina 17: 1-434. INTA, IMBIV & IBODA.
Literature
Kew Backbone Distributions
- (1982). Flora of Australia 8: 1-420. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
- Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
- Andersen, J.S. (1977). Flora Iranica 123: 1-14. Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz.
- Audru, J., Cesar, J. & Lebrun, J.-P. (1994). Les Plantes Vasculaires de la République de Djibouti. Flore Illustrée 1: 1-336. CIRAD, Départerment d'Elevage et de Médecine vétérinaire, Djibouti.
- Authier, P. & Covillot, J. (2011). Catalogue actualisé des plantes de l'île de Rhodes (Grèce) Saussurea; Travaux de la Société Botanique de Genève 41: 131-170.
- Boudet, G., Lebrun, J.P. & Demange, R. (1986). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Mali: 1-465. Etudes d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux.
- Daoud, H.S. in Al-Rawi, A. (1985). Flora of Kuwait 1: 1-224. Alden Press Ltd., U.K.
- Delipavlov, D. & Cheshmedzhiev, I. (eds.) (2011). Opredelitel na rasteniiata v Bulgariia: 1-590. Akad. Isd. Agrar. Univers. Plovdiv.
- 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.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2015). Flora of North America North of Mexico 6: 1-468. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
- Jeanmonod, D. & Schlüssel, A. (éd.) (2012). Notes et contributions à la flore de Corse, XXIV Candollea 67: 293-321.
- Kozhevnikov, A.E., Kozhevnikov, Z.V., Kwak, M. & Lee, B.Y. (2019). Illustrated flora of the Primorsky Territory, Russian Far East: 1-1124. National institute of biological resources.
- 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.
- Miller, A.G. & Morris, M. (2004). Ethnoflora of Soqotra Archipelago: 1-759. The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
- 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.
- Rebnner, S.S. & Pandey, A.K. (2013). The Cucurbitaceae of India: Accepted names, synonyms, geographic distribution, and information on images and DNA sequences PhytoKeys 20: 53-118.
- Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) in Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2012). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 3(2): 1-623. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
- Thulin, M. (ed.) (1993). Flora of Somalia 1: 1-493. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Townsend, C.C. & Guest, E. (eds.) (1980). Flora of Iraq 4(1): 1-628. Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform, Baghdad.
- Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1968). Flora Europaea 2: 1-469. Cambridge University Press.
- Vvedensky, A.I. (ed.) (1961). Flora Uzbekistana 5: 1-667. Izd-va Akademii nauk Uzbekskoi SSR, Tashkent.
- Zuloaga, F.O. & Belgrano, M.J. (eds.) (2017). Flora Argentina. Flora vascular de la República Argentina 17: 1-434. INTA, IMBIV & IBODA.
- Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.
Flora of Somalia
- Flora Somalia, Vol 1, (1993) Author: by C. Jeffrey & M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
- Pickering, H. & Awale, A. I. (2018). Introduction to plants in Central Somaliland. Ponte Invisibile, Redsea Cultural Foundation.
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- Hassib, Cucurbitac. in Egypt: 58 (1938).
- Hook. f. in Flora of Tropical Africa 2: 548 (1871).
- Hutch. & Dalz., Flora of West Tropical Africa 1: 183 (1927).
- Keraudren, Fl. Madag. Cucurbitac: 154 (1966).
- Schrad. in Linnaea 12: 414 (1838).
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Art and Illustrations in Digifolia
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Flora of Somalia
Flora of Somalia
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Flora of Tropical East Africa
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Flora of West Tropical Africa
Flora of West Tropical Africa
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The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
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Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
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