Sicyos L.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual climbing or trailing herbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple; blade palmately lobed

Morphology General Tendrils

Tendrils proximally 2–5-fid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, greenish-white to greenish-yellow, monoecious Male flowers few to many in simple or branched racemes, often ± whorled or subcapitate; receptacle-tube shallowly campanulate; lobes small, dentiform; petals (3–4–)5, united at the very base, entire; stamens (2–)3(–5); filaments inserted at base of tube, united into a central column; anthers united into a head, less often practically free; thecae arcuate, flexuous or triplicate Female flowers solitary and long-pedicellate, or few to many subsessile and capitate at the apex of peduncles, smaller than (♂; perianth parts 5-merous, sometimes 3-merous; ovary ovoid and beaked or fusiform, 1-locular; ovule solitary, pendulous

sex Male

Male flowers few to many in simple or branched racemes, often ± whorled or subcapitate; receptacle-tube shallowly campanulate; lobes small, dentiform; petals (3–4–)5, united at the very base, entire; stamens (2–)3(–5); filaments inserted at base of tube, united into a central column; anthers united into a head, less often practically free; thecae arcuate, flexuous or triplicate

sex Female

Female flowers solitary and long-pedicellate, or few to many subsessile and capitate at the apex of peduncles, smaller than (♂; perianth parts 5-merous, sometimes 3-merous; ovary ovoid and beaked or fusiform, 1-locular; ovule solitary, pendulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit rather small, ovoid and beaked or fusiform, terete, angled or compressed, aculeate, spiny or sometimes unarmed, dry and coriaceous or woody

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed solitary, broadly ovate and compressed to fusiform, often rather obscurely bicarunculate at the apex; testa smooth.