- Family:
- Cucurbitaceae Juss.
- Genus:
- Cucumis L.
Cucumis dipsaceus Ehrenb. ex Spach

[FWTA]
Cucurbitaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954
- Morphology General Habit
- A slender annual climber with pale green stem.
[UPFC]
- Distribution
- Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean, Pacific. Elevation range: 5–1200 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bolívar, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
- Habit
- Climbing.
- Ecology
- Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
[FSOM]
M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS
- Morphology General Habit
- Trailing annual herb to 2 m; stems harshly hispid
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blade ovate to reniform, deeply cordate, rounded, sinuate-dentate, bright green, scabrid or hispid especially on veins beneath, 2–9.5 x 2.5–10 cm, unlobed or shallowly and broadly palmately 3-lobed, lobes rounded; petiole 1.7–12 cm long, roughly hispid
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Monoecious
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Male flowers solitary or in 2–4-flowered fascicles Female flowers solitary
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
- Pedicels 7–13 mm long Pedicel 5–10 mm long Pedicel stout, c. 1 cm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
- Hypanthium pale green, 3–5 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Sepals linear, spreading, 1.5–5 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Petals bright yellow with pellucid green veins, 5–15 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
- Ovary ellipsoid, 9–17 mm long, densely spiny
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
- Perianth as in male flowers
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit ellipsoid, 4.5–6.5 x 3–4 cm, densely softly spiny, pale green, yellow when ripe
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds elliptic in outline, rather acute at each end, 4.5 mm long.
- Distribution
- N1, 3; C2; S1–3 adventive in the dry neotropics.
- Ecology
- Altitude range 20–1580 m.
- Vernacular
- Gambal (Somali-N), qal-foon (Somali-S).
[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
- esponjilla, limoncillo, melón de culebra, meloncillo, pepino del diablo
[FTEA]
Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967
- Morphology General Habit
- Fibrous-rooted annual climbing or trailing herb; stems angular, rather grey-green, hispid with stiff bristly spreading hairs mainly on the ridges.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blade ovate- or reniform-cordate in outline, rounded, regularly sinuate-toothed, scabrid hairy above and especially on the nerves beneath, 18–95 mm. long, 27–102 mm. broad, unlobed or shallowly and broadly 3-lobed, with the lobes rounded; petiole roughly spreading-hairy with broad-based pointed hairs, 17–115 mm. long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Male flowers 1–4, on 7–13 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube pale green, 3.5–5 mm. long; lobes subulate-filiform, 1.5–4 mm. long; petals yellow with pellucid green veins, 5–10 mm. long, 2.5–5 mm. broad, united below. Female flowers on 5–10 mm. long stalks; ovary ellipsoid, bristly, 9–17 mm. long, 4–8 mm. broad; receptacle-tube green, 3–4 mm. long; lobes subulate, spreading, 2.5–5 mm. long; petals 6–15 mm. long, 3–8.5 mm. broad, rounded and apiculate.
- sex Male
- Male flowers 1–4, on 7–13 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube pale green, 3.5–5 mm. long; lobes subulate-filiform, 1.5–4 mm. long; petals yellow with pellucid green veins, 5–10 mm. long, 2.5–5 mm. broad, united below.
- sex Female
- Female flowers on 5–10 mm. long stalks; ovary ellipsoid, bristly, 9–17 mm. long, 4–8 mm. broad; receptacle-tube green, 3–4 mm. long; lobes subulate, spreading, 2.5–5 mm. long; petals 6–15 mm. long, 3–8.5 mm. broad, rounded and apiculate.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit on a stout 8–11 mm. long stalk, ellipsoid, 43–66 mm. long, 28–40 mm. across, densely and softly spiny, with each spine ending in a hyaline bristle, pale green, yellow when ripe.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seed elliptic, rather pointed at each end, 4.5 × 2 × 1 mm.
- Habitat
- Bushland, woodland and wooded grassland, also a weed of cultivation; 425–1800 m.
- Distribution
- NE. tropical Africasometimes cultivated and adventive in tropical regions elsewhere K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T7 U1
[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. 5 - 1200 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
- Morphology General Habit
- Trepadora
- Conservation
- No Evaluada
[UPFC]
- Use Animal Food
- Used as animal food.
- Use Environmental
- Environmental uses.
- 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:
Central African Repu, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Extinct in:
Socotra
Introduced into:
Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil Northeast, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Galápagos, Hawaii, Leeward Is., Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Netherlands Antilles, Panamá, Peru, Puerto Rico, Texas, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles
- English
- Teasel Gourd
Cucumis dipsaceus Ehrenb. ex Spach appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 1, 1993 | K000311083 | isotype | Yes | ||
Jan 1, 1987 | Gillett, J.B. [18145], Kenya | K000809259 | No | ||
Milne-Redhead, E. [7252], Tanzania | 16134.000 | No | |||
Tweedie [2027], Kenya | 16135.000 | No | |||
Milne-Redhead, E. [11280], Tanzania | 16136.000 | No | |||
Richards, H.M. [13458], Tanzania | 16137.000 | No | |||
Gillett, J.B. [14077], Kenya | 1714.000 | No | |||
Drummond, R.B. [2350], Tanzania | 3250.000 | No | |||
Ash [177], Ethiopia | 40731.000 | No | |||
Ash [177], Ethiopia | 6049.397 | No | |||
Milne-Redhead, E. [4253], Tanzania | 6585.000 | No | |||
Kerfoot, O. [3603], Uganda | 6586.000 | No | |||
Milne-Redhead, E. [11228], Tanzania | 8077.000 | No | |||
Arbo, M.M. [15011997], Argentina | K001139694 | Yes | |||
Kuchar, P. [16868], Somalia | K000809223 | No | |||
Friss, I. [3226], Ethiopia | K000809227 | No | |||
Friss, I. [8921], Ethiopia | K000809226 | No | |||
Arbo, M.M. [5501], Brazil | K001139695 | Yes | |||
s.coll [46], Kenya | K000809258 | No | |||
s.coll [84], Kenya | K000809261 | No | |||
Hemming, C.F. [JESS8610], Somalia | K000809222 | No | |||
Friss, I. [1014], Ethiopia | K000809225 | No | |||
Friss, I. [10192], Ethiopia | K000809224 | No | |||
Gillett, J.B. [12515], Kenya | K000809260 | No |
First published in Hist. Nat. Vég. 6: 211 (1838)
Accepted by
- Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
- Boulos, L. (2000). Flora of Egypt 2: 1-352. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
- Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 2(1): 1-85. ORSTROM, Bangui.
- 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.
- Correa A., Mireya D. Galdames, Carmen Correa A., M. D., C. Galdames & M. S. de Stapf (2004). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares de Panamá: 1-599. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
- 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.
- 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.
- Garcillán, P.P. & al. (2013). Plantas no nativas naturalizadas de la península de Baja California, México Botanical Sciences 91: 461-475.
- Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
- Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
- Hutchinson, J., Dalziel, J.M. & Keay, R.W.J. (1954-1958). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 1-828.
- 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.
- Miller, A.G. & Morris, M. (2004). Ethnoflora of Soqotra Archipelago: 1-759. The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
- Wagner, W.L., Herbst, D.R. & Sohmer, S.H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, rev. ed., 1: 1-988. University of Hawai'i Press, Bishop Museum Press.
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
Flora of West Tropical Africa
- Chev. Bot. 292.
- Cogn. & Harms in Engl. Pflanzenr. Cucurbit. 2: 147
- —F.T.A. 2: 543
Kew Backbone Distributions
- Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
- Boulos, L. (2000). Flora of Egypt 2: 1-352. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
- Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 2(1): 1-85. ORSTROM, Bangui.
- 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.
- Correa A., Mireya D. Galdames, Carmen Correa A., M. D., C. Galdames & M. S. de Stapf (2004). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares de Panamá: 1-599. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Jaramillo Díaz, P. & Guézou, A. (2017). CDF Checklist of Galapagos Vascular Plants - FCD Lista de especies de Plantas Vasculares de Galápagos http://www.darwinfoundation.org/datazone/checklists/vascular-plants/.
- 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.
- Miller, A.G. & Morris, M. (2004). Ethnoflora of Soqotra Archipelago: 1-759. The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
- Wagner, W.L., Herbst, D.R. & Sohmer, S.H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, rev. ed., 1: 1-988. University of Hawai'i Press, Bishop Museum Press.
Flora of Somalia
- Flora Somalia, Vol 1, (1993) Author: by C. Jeffrey & M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- A. Zimm., Cucurbitac. 2: 47, 82, 93, 111, figs. 71/13–15, 81/4 (1922).
- A.J. Jex-Blake, Some Wild Flowers of Kenya p. 29 (1948).
- F. W. Andr., The Flowering Plants of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 1: 172, fig. 102 (1950).
- Hassib, Cucurbitac. in Egypt: 77 (1938).
- Hiern, Cat. Welw. Afr. Pl. 2: 397 (1898).
- Hook. f. in Flora of Tropical Africa 2: 543 (1871), pro parte, excl. syn. C. bardana Fenzl, C. cognato Fenzl & C. ambiguo Fenzl.
- Hutch. & Dalz., Flora of West Tropical Africa 1: 182 (1927), pro parte, ut in clave, excl. spec. cit. Ingram saltem
- Keay, Flora of West Tropical Africa ed. 2, 1: 213 (1954), pro parte, ut in clave, excl. spec. cit. Ingram, Fox 176, Hagerup 286 saltem.
- Spach, Hist. Nat. Veg. Phan. 6: 211 (1838).
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 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/
- Ulian, T., Sacandé, M., Hudson, A., & Mattana, E. (2017). Conservation of indigenous plants to support community livelihoods: the MGU–Useful Plants Project. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 60:668-683.
- Willis, K.J. (ed.) (2017). State of the World’s Plants 2017. Report. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible
ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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Flora of Somalia
Flora of Somalia
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Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
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Flora of West Tropical Africa
Flora of West Tropical 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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Universidad Nacional de Colombia
ColPlantA database
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Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia
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