- Family:
- Cucurbitaceae Juss.
- Genus:
- Cucumis L.
Cucumis anguria L.

[UNAL]
Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/
- Vernacular
- cocombro, cohombro, melón de golero, patilla de golero, patilla de monte, patilla de ratón, pepinillo, pepinito de monte, pepino cimarrón, pepino cocombro, pepino del llano, pepino del monte
[FTEA]
Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967
- Morphology General Habit
- Annual herb climbing or trailing to 2.5 m.; stem densely long spreading-hairy.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blade broadly ovate-cordate in outline, subscabrid-hairy especially on nerves with short straight hairs, sinuate-toothed, 40–95 mm. long, 52–90 mm. broad, deeply palmately 5-lobed, lobes somewhat elliptic or rhombic in outline, narrowed below, often (especially the central and largest) 3-lobulate, less often the lobes ovate or rounded-triangular, broadest at the base; petiole 42–120 mm. long, ± spreading-hairy.
- sex Male
- Male flowers solitary or 3–10 in sessile or up to 26 mm. pedunculate cymose groups; pedicels 4–30 mm. long; receptacle-tube 3–3.5 mm. long; lobes subulate, 1.5–2 mm. long; petals 5–6 mm. long, 2.5–4 mm. broad, yellow.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Female flowers on 13–95 mm. long stalks; ovary ellipsoid, ± 8 mm. long and 5 mm. across, rather densely bristly, each bristle elevated on a slight papilla; receptacle-tube ± 3.5 mm. long and 2.5 mm. across; perianth as in ♂. Male flowers solitary or 3–10 in sessile or up to 26 mm. pedunculate cymose groups; pedicels 4–30 mm. long; receptacle-tube 3–3.5 mm. long; lobes subulate, 1.5–2 mm. long; petals 5–6 mm. long, 2.5–4 mm. broad, yellow.
- sex Female
- Female flowers on 13–95 mm. long stalks; ovary ellipsoid, ± 8 mm. long and 5 mm. across, rather densely bristly, each bristle elevated on a slight papilla; receptacle-tube ± 3.5 mm. long and 2.5 mm. across; perianth as in ♂.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit (fig. 15/8, p. 95) on a 33–135 mm. long stalk, which is often expanded upwards, shortly ellipsoid or subglobose, 30–43 mm. long, 22–34 mm. across, softly aculeate (the aculei terete, often more abundant and longest at the stalk end of the fruit and practically absent from the distal end), grey-green with about 10 longitudinal bands of deeper green and of varying distinctness, sometimes concolorous, ripening pale lemon-yellow.
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodland and bushland, lowland grassland; 800–1350 m.
- Distribution
- T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T7 T8 south to the Transvaal and South West Africa
[UPFC]
- Distribution
- Biogeografic region: Caribbean. Elevation range: 25–1040 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Cundinamarca, La Guajira, Magdalena, Santander, Sucre, Valle del Cauca.
- Habit
- Climbing.
- Ecology
- Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
- Vernacular
- Cocombro, Cohombro, Concombro
[FZ]
Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978
- Morphology General Habit
- Annual; stems prostrate or scandent, to 3 m., patent-setulose.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-lamina 3–10 × 3·5–12–5 cm., broadly ovate in outline, broadly and shallowly cordate, punctate and setulose becoming scabrid-setose on veins beneath, scabrid-setulose becoming punctate above, margins ± sinuate-denticulate, palmately (3)5(7)-lobed, usually deeply, lobes narrowly to broadly elliptic, rhombic, obovate-elliptic or less often ovate-triangular or triangular, obtuse to rounded, apiculate, the central largest, often shortly 3-lobulate.
- Morphology Leaves Petiole
- Petiole 2–12 cm. long, patent-setulose.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers monoecious. Female flowers solitary, sometimes co-axillary with male; pedicels 18–105 mm. long; ovary 7–9 × 60–9 mm., broadly ellipsoid, shortly rostrate, softly spiny; perianth similar to that of male flower. male flowers 2–10 in subsessile fascicles; pedicels 6–30 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 2–4 mm. long, lobes 1·2–3 mm. long. Petals 3–7·5 mm. long, yellow.
- sex Male
- male flowers 2–10 in subsessile fascicles; pedicels 6–30 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 2–4 mm. long, lobes 1·2–3 mm. long. Petals 3–7·5 mm. long, yellow.
- sex Female
- Female flowers solitary, sometimes co-axillary with male; pedicels 18–105 mm. long; ovary 7–9 × 60–9 mm., broadly ellipsoid, shortly rostrate, softly spiny; perianth similar to that of male flower.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit 3–4·5 × 2·5–3·5 cm., ellipsoid to sub-globose, softly spiny, at least proximally, green or green striped paler green becoming yellow when ripe; spines 3–11 mm. long; fruit-stalk 2·5–21 cm. long, expanded upwards.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds 5–6 × 2·2–2·7 × 1·0–1·3 mm., elliptic in outline, compressed, with rounded margins, smooth.
[CPLC]
Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co
- Distribution
- Adventicia en Colombia; Alt. 25 - 1040 m.; Llanura del Caribe, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
- Morphology General Habit
- Trepadora
- Conservation
- No Evaluada
[UPFC]
- Use Animal Food
- Used as animal food.
- Use Gene Sources
- Used as gene sources.
- Use Food
- Used for food.
- Use Materials
- Used as material.
- Use Medicines
- Medical uses.
- Use Poisons
- Poisons.
Native to:
Angola, Botswana, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Northern Provinces, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe
Introduced into:
Alabama, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Aruba, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burkina, California, Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Cayman Is., Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Marquesas, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Montana, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New York, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Is., Paraguay, Peru, Queensland, Réunion, Sierra Leone, Texas, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is.
- English
- Bur cucumber, Gherkin, Gooseberry cucumber, Horned cucumber, Jelly melon, West Indian Gherkin, Wild cucumber
Cucumis anguria L. appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oct 28, 2008 | Crawford, F. [13], Namibia | K000450434 | No | ||
May 1, 2001 | Alison [369], Botswana | K000809271 | No | ||
May 1, 2001 | Alison [407], Botswana | K000809272 | No | ||
May 1, 2001 | Alison [72], Botswana | K000809270 | No | ||
Jan 1, 1990 | Pawek, J. [11067], Malawi | K000809269 | No | ||
Zambia | 18256.000 | No | |||
Trinidad & Tobago | 18787.000 | No | |||
Kenya | 22016.000 | No | |||
Bullock, A.A., Zambia | 22663.000 | No | |||
Jeffrey, C. [1185], Seychelles | 22912.000 | No | |||
Woolston, A.L. [1171], Paraguay | 27641.000 | No | |||
Polhill, R. [1305], Tanzania | 4977.000 | No | |||
Wild, H. [41926], Zimbabwe | 5146.000 | No | |||
Renvoize, S.A. [2140A], Tanzania | 7431.000 | No | |||
Milne-Redhead, E. [11246], Tanzania | 8076.000 | No | |||
Moseley [s.n.], Brazil | K001139682 | Yes | |||
Trail, J.W.H. [363], Brazil | K001139684 | Yes | |||
s.coll. [7881] | K001139681 | Yes | |||
Nee, M. [34448], Brazil | K001139691 | Yes | |||
Balée, W.L. [895], Brazil | K001139688 | Yes | |||
Masters, M.T. [1/72] | K000742800 | Yes | |||
Hatschbach, G. [49227], Brazil | K001139689 | Yes | |||
s.coll. [s.n.] | K001139685 | Yes | |||
Salino, A. [3080], Brazil | K001139693 | Yes | |||
Glaziou [10859], Brazil | K001139690 | Yes | |||
Burchell [9612], Brazil | K001139683 | Yes | |||
Hatschbach, G. [65735], Brazil | K001139692 | Yes | |||
Moseley [s.n.], Brazil | K001139686 | Yes | |||
s.coll. [7881] | K001139680 | Yes | |||
Terry, J. [153], Botswana | K000809273 | No | |||
Hatschbach, G. [29472], Brazil | K001139687 | Yes |
First published in Sp. Pl.: 1011 (1753)
Accepted by
- (1982). Flora of Australia 8: 1-420. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
- Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
- Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots' Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
- Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.
- Bosser, J. & al. (eds.) (1990). Flore des Mascareignes 90-106: 1. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.
- Brako, L. & Zarucchi, J.L. (1993). Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 45: i-xl, 1-1286. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- De Wilde, W.J.J.O. & Duyfjes, B.E.E. (2008). The edible Cucurbitaceae of Thailand and Malesia and the wild forms of the cultivated ones Sandakania 17: 43-91.
- Diamond, A.R. & Woods, M. (2009). Noteworthy collections Alabama Castanea 74: 440-443.
- Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2015). Flora of North America North of Mexico 6: 1-468. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
- Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
- Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
- Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera & C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2010). Manual de plantas de Costa Rica volumen V. Dicotiledóneas (Clusiaceae-Gunneraceae) Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 119: 1-970. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
- Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., Ortiz, R.D.C., Callejas Posada, R. & Merello, M. (eds.) (2011). Flora de Antioquia: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares 2: 1-939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín.
- Jeffrey, C. (1967). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Cucurbitaceae: 1-156.
- Jørgensen, P.M. & León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999). Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75: i-viii, 1-1181. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Jørgensen, P.M., Nee, M.H. & Beck., S.G. (eds.) (2013). Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 127: 1-1741. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Launert, E. (ed.) (1978). Flora Zambesiaca 4: 1-658. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Lorence, D.H. & Wagnwe, W.L. (2020). Flora of the Marquesas Islands 2: 413-1135. National Tropical Botanic Garden, Smithsonian, DRPF.
- MacKee, H.S. (1994). Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie, ed. 2: 1-164. Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris.
- Orchard, A.E. (ed.) (1994). Oceanic Islands 1 Flora of Australia 49: 1-681. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
- Sykes, W.R. (1970). Contributions to the flora of Niue Bulletin, New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 200: 1-321.
- Thiombiano, A., Schmidt, M., Dressler, S., Ouédraogo, A., Hahn, K. & Zizka, G. (2012). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Burkina Faso Boissiera 65: 1-391.
- 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.
Literature
Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
- Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co
Kew Backbone Distributions
- (1982). Flora of Australia 8: 1-420. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
- Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
- Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots' Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
- Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.
- Bosser, J. & al. (eds.) (1990). Flore des Mascareignes 90-106: 1. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.
- Brako, L. & Zarucchi, J.L. (1993). Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 45: i-xl, 1-1286. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Diamond, A.R. & Woods, M. (2009). Noteworthy collections Alabama Castanea 74: 440-443.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2015). Flora of North America North of Mexico 6: 1-468. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
- Forzza, R.C., Zappi, D. & Souza, V.C. (2016-continuously updated). Flora do Brasil 2020 em construção http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/reflora/listaBrasil/ConsultaPublicaUC/ResultadoDaConsultaNovaConsulta.do.
- GBIF (2008-2020). Global Biodiversity Information Facility http://www.gbif.org/.
- Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera & C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2010). Manual de plantas de Costa Rica volumen V. Dicotiledóneas (Clusiaceae-Gunneraceae) Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 119: 1-970. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
- Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., Ortiz, R.D.C., Callejas Posada, R. & Merello, M. (eds.) (2011). Flora de Antioquia: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares 2: 1-939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín.
- Jørgensen, P.M. & León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999). Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75: i-viii, 1-1181. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Jørgensen, P.M., Nee, M.H. & Beck., S.G. (eds.) (2013). Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 127: 1-1741. Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Lorence, D.H. & Wagnwe, W.L. (2020). Flora of the Marquesas Islands 2: 413-1135. National Tropical Botanic Garden, Smithsonian, DRPF.
- MacKee, H.S. (1994). Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie, ed. 2: 1-164. Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris.
- Orchard, A.E. (ed.) (1994). Oceanic Islands 1 Flora of Australia 49: 1-681. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
- Sykes, W.R. (1970). Contributions to the flora of Niue Bulletin, New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 200: 1-321.
- Thiombiano, A., Schmidt, M., Dressler, S., Ouédraogo, A., Hahn, K. & Zizka, G. (2012). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Burkina Faso Boissiera 65: 1-391.
- 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 Tropical East Africa
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- Diazgranados, M., Allkin, B., Black N., Cámara-Leret, R., Canteiro C., Carretero J., Eastwood R., Hargreaves S., Hudson A., Milliken W., Nesbitt, M., Ondo, I., Patmore, K., Pironon, S., Turner, R., Ulian, T. (2020). World Checklist of Useful Plant Species. Produced by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.
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-
Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
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Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible
ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
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Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
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Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
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Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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Kew Backbone Distributions
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 Living Collection Database
Common Names from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Living Collection https://www.kew.org/
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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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Kew Science Photographs
Copyright applied to individual images
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Plants and People Africa
Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
© Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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Universidad Nacional de Colombia
ColPlantA database
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Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia
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