Family:
Cucurbitaceae Juss.
Genus:
Cucumis L.

Cucumis anguria L.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Tanzania to S. Africa. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine and for food.

[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

  • A. Meeuse in Blumea, Suppl. 4: 197 (1958)
  • A. Meeuse in Bothalia 8: 77 (1962).
  • L., Sp. Pl.: 1011 (1753).
  • R. & A. Fernandes in Mem. Junta Invest. Ultram., sér. 2, 34: 91 (1962).

Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

  • Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R., & Celis, M. (eds.). (2020). Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia. v1.1. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Dataset/Checklist. https://doi.org/10.15472/7avdhn
  • Burkill HM. (1995). The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vols. 1-3. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vols 1-3.
  • Dempewolf, H., Eastwood, R. J., Guarino, L., Khoury, C. K., Müller, J. V. & Toll, J. (2014). Adapting agriculture to climate change: a global initiative to collect, conserve, and use crop wild relatives. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 38, 369-377.
  • Diazgranados et al. (2021). Catalogue of plants of Colombia. Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project. In prep.
  • 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.
  • FPI (2021). Food Plants International. https://fms.cmsvr.com/fmi/webd/Food_Plants_World?homeurl=https://foodplantsinternational.com/plants/
  • GBIF.org (2021). GBIF species matching tool. https://www.gbif.org/tools/species-lookup
  • GRIN (2021). Germplasm Resources Information Network from the United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.ars-grin.gov/
  • Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humbodlt (2014). Plantas alimenticias y medicinales nativas de Colombia. 2567 registros, aportados por: Castellanos, C. (Contacto del recurso), Valderrama, N. (Creador del recurso, Autor), Bernal, Y. (Autor), García, N. (Autor). http://i2d.humboldt.org.co/ceiba/resource.do?r=ls_colombia_magnoliophyta_2014
  • Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (2015). Listado de especies de Productos No Maderables del caribe colombiano. 366 registros, aportados por: Garcia, H. (Contacto del Recurso), López Camacho, R. (Creador del recurso), Espitia Palencia, L. (Proveedor del metadatos). Versión 2.0. http://i2d.humboldt.org.co/ceiba/resource.do?r=le_bst-caribe_plantae_2015
  • Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS) v.10 (2021); http://mpns.kew.org/
  • PROTA (2021). Plants Resources of Tropical Africa. https://prota4u.org/database/
  • RBG, Kew (ed.) (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London.
  • Willis, K.J. (ed.) (2017). State of the World’s Plants 2017. Report. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • 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

  • 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 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

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    Common Names from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Living Collection https://www.kew.org/

  • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    Copyright applied to individual images

  • 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/

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    ColPlantA database
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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