Cucurbitaceae
Cucumis

Cucumis humifructus Stent

First published in Bothalia 2: 356 (1927)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to Namibia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb; stems prostrate, to 3 m. or more, crispate-setulose to almost glabrous, rooting at the nodes.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-lamina 3–11(17) × 3–13(22) cm., ovate or broadly ovate to suborbicular in outline, weakly cordate, more or less scabrid-setulose above and on veins beneath, sinuate-denticulate, very shortly palmately 5-lobed or subpentagonal, lobes broadly ovate or broadly triangular, rounded, sometimes shortly acuminate, apiculate.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petiole 1·5–5(11·5) cm. long, crispate-setulose.
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils rather weak, 2–8 at each node.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers monoecious. Female flowers solitary, co-axillary with male opening before male towards apex of shoots; pedicel stout, 3·5–11 mm. long, rapidly elongating after flowering and burying the developing fruit; ovary 3–3·5 × 1 mm., ovoid-rostrate, acute, densely retrorsely tomentose; perianth similar to that of male flower, quickly deciduous. male flowers 2–12 in small fascicles; pedicels 5–11(10) mm. long. Receptacle-tube 1·5–3·5 mm. long, lobes 0·7–3 mm. long. Petals 2–7 mm. long, yellow or pale yellow.
sex Male
male flowers 2–12 in small fascicles; pedicels 5–11(10) mm. long. Receptacle-tube 1·5–3·5 mm. long, lobes 0·7–3 mm. long. Petals 2–7 mm. long, yellow or pale yellow.
sex Female
Female flowers solitary, co-axillary with male opening before male towards apex of shoots; pedicel stout, 3·5–11 mm. long, rapidly elongating after flowering and burying the developing fruit; ovary 3–3·5 × 1 mm., ovoid-rostrate, acute, densely retrorsely tomentose; perianth similar to that of male flower, quickly deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit subterranean, c. 4 × 3·5–5· cm., subglobose, pale greenish, yellow or whitish, rugose; fruit-stalk 10–25 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 15–20 × 7–9 × 2–3 mm., elliptic in outline, compressed, whitish.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967

Morphology General Habit
Rampant annual trailing herb to 2–7 m.; stems long-hairy, especially in younger parts, with the hairs fine and spreading.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blade broadly ovate or reniform in outline, subcordate-truncate, rounded above, somewhat stiff-hairy especially on the nerves beneath, faintly and obscurely sinuate-toothed, 65–170 mm. long, 77–220 mm. broad, sometimes obscurely 3-lobed with rounded lobes; petiole 25–115 mm. long, ± finely spreading-hairy.
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils weak, fascicled 2–5 at the nodes.
sex Male
Male flowers 1–3 or more, on 7–9 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube ± 2.5 mm. long; lobes filiform, 3 mm. long; petals yellow, ± 4.5 mm. long and 2 mm. broad, united below.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers subsessile; ovary hairy, ovoid, 3 mm. long, 1 mm. across; receptacle-tube 3 mm. long; stalk of ovary rapidly elongating after flowering to 150–230 mm. long, burying the young fruit in the ground. Male flowers 1–3 or more, on 7–9 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube ± 2.5 mm. long; lobes filiform, 3 mm. long; petals yellow, ± 4.5 mm. long and 2 mm. broad, united below.
sex Female
Female flowers subsessile; ovary hairy, ovoid, 3 mm. long, 1 mm. across; receptacle-tube 3 mm. long; stalk of ovary rapidly elongating after flowering to 150–230 mm. long, burying the young fruit in the ground.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit subterranean, subglobose, 39–41 mm. long, 34–53 mm. across, pale biscuit-coloured with rough markings; pulp brownish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds whitish, compressed, elliptic in outline, 15 × 6 × 2 mm.
Habitat
Upland grassland; 1800 m.
Distribution
K3 K4
[FTEA]

Common Names

english
aardvark cucumber

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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 Vascular Plants 2026. 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 Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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