Family:
Cucurbitaceae Juss.
Genus:
Cucumis L.

Cucumis dipsaceus Ehrenb. ex Spach

This species is accepted, and its native range is Central African Republic to NE. & E. Tropical Africa. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

[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.

  • 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/
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • 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

    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

  • 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