Cucurbitaceae
Cucumis

Cucumis dipsaceus Ehrenb. ex Spach

First published in Hist. Nat. Vég. 6: 211 (1838)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central African Republic to NE. & E. Tropical Africa. It is a scrambling annual and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Distribution

Native to:

Central African Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Extinct in:

Socotra

Introduced into:

Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil Northeast, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Galápagos, Hawaii, India, Leeward Is., Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Netherlands Antilles, Panamá, Peru, Puerto Rico, Texas, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles

Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • 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.
  • Mao, A.A. & Dash, S.S. (2020). Flowering Plants of India an Annotated Checklist (Dicotyledons) 1: 1-970. Botanical Survey of India.
  • 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.

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.
  • Mao, A.A. & Dash, S.S. (2020). Flowering Plants of India an Annotated Checklist (Dicotyledons) 1: 1-970. Botanical Survey of India.
  • 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.

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jan 1, 1993 [1419] K000311083 Type Yes
Jan 1, 1987 Gillett, J.B.; Faden, R. [18145] Kenya K000809259 Yes
Gilbert, E.F. [196] Ethiopia K002267562 Yes
Backeus, I. [1099] Tanzania K002267972 Yes
Tweedie [2081] Uganda K002267925 Yes
Peter, G.A. [56456] Tanzania K002267964 Yes
Richards, H.M. [13458] Tanzania K:SPC-16137.000 No
Glover, P.E.; Samuel [2823] Kenya K002267936 Yes
Mathew, B.F. [6515] Kenya K002267913 Yes
Bally, P.R.O. [B5141] Kenya K002267939 Yes
Gilbert, M.G.; Gilbert, S.B. [2282] Ethiopia K002267556 Yes
Richards, H.M. (Mrs) [13458] Tanzania K002267970 Yes
Richards, M. [23608] Tanzania K002267951 Yes
Tweedie (Mrs.) [2069B] Uganda K002267924 Yes
de Wilde, J.J.F.E. [4829] Ethiopia K002267557 Yes
Edwards, S. [3729] Ethiopia K002267558 Yes
Scheffler, G. [377] Kenya K002267935 Yes
Hucks, H.P. [80] Kenya K002267946 Yes
Lott, E.J.; Butterwick, M.L. [1514] Mexico K002268825 Yes
Martin [249] Kenya K002267919 Yes
Mathew, B.F. [6279] Kenya K002267917 Yes
Milne-Redhead, E.; Taylor, P. [4253] Tanzania K:SPC-06585.000 No
Gillett, J.B. [3942] Somalia K002267546 Yes
Napier, E.R. [967] Kenya K002267945 Yes
Peter, G.A. [56594] Tanzania K002267963 Yes
Lucas, G.Ll. [220] Kenya K002267938 Yes
Gilbert, M.G.; Gilbert, S.B.; Tewolde-Berhan, G.E. [2464] Ethiopia K002267559 Yes
Drummond, R.B.; Hemsley, J.H. [2279] Tanzania K002267967 Yes
Schweifurth [435] Yemen K002267564 Yes
Sanane, M. [244] Tanzania K002267975 Yes
Polhill, R.; Paulo, S. [988] Tanzania K002267956 Yes
Hucks, H.P. [72] Kenya K002267942 Yes
Ash [177] Ethiopia K:SPC-40731.000 No
Richards, M. [24220] Tanzania K002267952 Yes
Tweedie (Mrs.) [2275] Kenya K002267926 Yes
Gillett, J.B. [14077] Kenya K002267912 Yes
Perdue, R.E.; Kibuwa, S.P. [8075] Kenya K002267941 Yes
Ash [177] Ethiopia K:SPC-06049.397 No
Greenway, P.J.; Kirrika [11049] Tanzania K002267957 Yes
Grimshaw, J.M. [JMG94164] Tanzania K002267954 Yes
Ironside Wood, J.R. [S/73/139] Somalia K002267544 Yes
Newbould, J.B. [6881] Kenya K002267920 Yes
Godding, H.C. [148] Somalia K002267547 Yes
Stokes, J.F.G. [s.n.] United States K002267215 Yes
Glover, P.E.; Samuel [2822B] Kenya K002267940 Yes
Ruffo [1193] Tanzania K002267971 Yes
Rothschild, B.; Espinosa, A.; Vazquez, S. [65] Mexico K002268823 Yes
Cole, E. [s.n.] Somalia K002267548 Yes
Mwangangi, O.M. [278] Kenya K002267931 Yes
Hooper, S.S.; Townsend, C.C. [1097] Kenya K002267943 Yes
Bally, P.R.O.; Adamson, J. (Mrs.) [B3685] Kenya K002267910 Yes
Moran, R.V. [6909] Mexico K002268831 Yes
Friis, I.; Tadesse, M.; Vollesen, K.B. [3225] Ethiopia K002267536 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Kenya K002267944 Yes
Milne-Redhead, E.; Taylor, P.G. [11280] Tanzania K002267955 Yes
Richards, H.M. (Mrs) [17376A] Tanzania K002267977 Yes
Tweedie [2027] K002267918 Yes
Friis, I.; Abebe, W.; Ermias Getachew [12570] Ethiopia K002267551 Yes
Peter, G.A. [56542] Tanzania K002267966 Yes
Greenway [6894] Tanzania K002267950 Yes
Kuchar, P. [16868] Somalia K000809223 Yes
Martin [249] Kenya K002267922 Yes
Friis, I.; Crawford, F.; Abebe, W. [14224] Ethiopia K002267565 Yes
Mortinier, M.J. [T99] Kenya K002267923 Yes
Kassas, M. [630] Sudan K002267545 Yes
Liebenberg, L.C.C. [229] Uganda K002267908 Yes
Iecama [F-49] Ethiopia K002267553 Yes
Pedersen, C. [461] Tanzania K002267974 Yes
Lott, E.J. [722] Mexico K002268826 Yes
Renvoize, S.A.; Abdallah, R.A. [1453] Tanzania K002267968 Yes
Peter, G.A. [42242] Tanzania K002267949 Yes
Tweedie [2275] Uganda K002267928 Yes
Milne-Redhead, E.; Taylor, P.G. [11228] Tanzania K002267976 Yes
Peter, G.A. [56586] Tanzania K002267969 Yes
Gilbert, M.G.; Abate, G. [3158] Ethiopia K002267554 Yes
Lott, E.J.; Butterwick, M.L. [1514] Mexico K002268829 Yes
Caley, J. [s.n.] Australia K002267159 Yes
Schweinfurth, G. [435] Yemen K002267563 Yes
Ash [177] Ethiopia K002267552 Yes
Lucas, G.Ll. [220] Kenya K002267937 Yes
Grimshaw, J.M. [JMG94468] Tanzania K002267953 Yes
Symes, Y.E. [554] Uganda K002267907 Yes
Milne-Redhead, E.; Taylor, P. [7252] Tanzania K:SPC-16134.000 No
Newbould, J.G.B. [3574] Kenya K002267915 Yes
Edwards, S. [3729] Eritrea K002267561 Yes
Lott, E.J. [722] Mexico K002268830 Yes
v. Someren (Dr) [7737] Kenya K002267934 Yes
Hemming, C.F.; Deshmukh, I. [JESS8610] Somalia K000809222 Yes
Drummond, R.B.; Hemsley, J.H. [2350] Tanzania K:SPC-03250.000 No
Nee, M.; Calzada, J.I. [s.n.] Mexico K002268827 Yes
Wilson, J. [631] Uganda K002267905 Yes
Kerfoot, O. [1119] Kenya K002267916 Yes
Batty, M. [270] Tanzania K002267958 Yes
Gillett, J.B. [14077] K002267914 Yes
[C. Rithyhi] [s.n.] Tanzania K002267960 Yes
Richards, M. [25517] Tanzania K002267947 Yes
s.coll [46] Kenya K000809258 Yes
Friis, I.; Harris, T.; Assefa Hailu [13720] Ethiopia K002267550 Yes
Toribio, M.M.; Guzmán, X.; Menera, J. [252] Mexico K002268820 Yes
Milne-Redhead, E.; Taylor, P. [11280] Tanzania K:SPC-16136.000 No
Bally, P.R.O.; Adamson, J. (Mrs.) [B4363] Kenya K002267909 Yes
Kerfoot, O. [3603] Uganda K:SPC-06586.000 No
Lott, E.J. [1217] Mexico K002268824 Yes
Rico, L.; Vázquez Contreras, S. [1029] Mexico K002268822 Yes
Friss, I.; Tadesse, M.; Vollesen, K. [3226] Ethiopia K000809227 Yes
Friss, I.; Bidgood, S.; Wandafrash, M.; Hiwot, G.G. [8921] Ethiopia K000809226 Yes
Tweedie [2027] Kenya K:SPC-16135.000 No
Peter, G.A. [42771] Tanzania K002267948 Yes
Martin, W.N.R. [249] Kenya K002267921 Yes
Drummond, R.B.; Hemsley, J.H. [2350] Tanzania K002267961 Yes
Peter, G.A. [56548] Tanzania K002267965 Yes
Degener, O. [6075] United States K002267214 Yes
Friss, I.; Bidgood, S.; Host, P.; Wondafrash, M.; Getachew, E. [10192] Ethiopia K000809224 Yes
Faden, R.B. [67595] Kenya K002267933 Yes
Drummond, R.B.; Hemsley, J.H. [2350] Tanzania K002267962 Yes
Gatheri, G.W.; Mungai, G.M.; Kanuri Kibui [79/33] Kenya K002267932 Yes
Friss, I.; Bidgood, S.; Getachew, E.; Wandafrash, M. [1014] Ethiopia K000809225 Yes
Edwards, S.; Tewolde-Berhan, G.E. [3873] Eritrea K002267560 Yes
Nee, M.; Hansen, B.F. [18329] Mexico K002268828 Yes
s.coll [84] Kenya K000809261 Yes
Hepper, F.N.; Jaeger, P.M.L. [6964] Kenya K002267911 Yes
Liebenberg, L.C.C. [188] Uganda K002267906 Yes
Burne, E. [41] Somalia K002267549 Yes
Gillett, J.B. [12515] Kenya K000809260 Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • 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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • 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