Family:
Cucurbitaceae Juss.
Genus:
Cucumis L.

Cucumis engleri (Gilg) Ghebret. & Thulin

This species is accepted, and its native range is Sudan to Malawi.

[FZ]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Stems prostrate or scandent, up to 1·2 m. long, shortly hispid.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-lamina 1·2–8 × 1·7–7 cm., broadly ovate or subpentagonal in outline, cordate, when young ± cinereous-tomentose beneath, later hispid or asperulous, especially on veins, shortly hispid above, ± sinuate-denticulate at the margins, unlobed or shortly to moderately palmately 3–5-lobed, lobes ovate-triangular or triangular, obtuse to acute, apiculate, the central largest.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petioles 1–6·7 cm. long, hispid or scabrid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Probably monoecious. Female flowers on 5–30 mm. long pedicels; ovary 12–16 × 1·5–2·5 mm., ovoid-cylindrical or fusiform, densely hirsute; receptacle-lobes 2·5–5 mm. long, perianth otherwise as in male flowers. male flowers in sessile or sometimes shortly pedunculate 2–12-flowered fascicles, rarely solitary; peduncle up to 5 mm. long; pedicels 5–18 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 2·5–5 mm. long, densely hispid; lobes 1–2 mm. long, filiform. Petals 3–8 mm. long, yellow.
sex Male
male flowers in sessile or sometimes shortly pedunculate 2–12-flowered fascicles, rarely solitary; peduncle up to 5 mm. long; pedicels 5–18 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 2·5–5 mm. long, densely hispid; lobes 1–2 mm. long, filiform. Petals 3–8 mm. long, yellow.
sex Female
Female flowers on 5–30 mm. long pedicels; ovary 12–16 × 1·5–2·5 mm., ovoid-cylindrical or fusiform, densely hirsute; receptacle-lobes 2·5–5 mm. long, perianth otherwise as in male flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 1–4 × 0·7–1·5 cm., ellipsoid-cylindrical or fusiform, sometimes ± rostrate, longitudinally ribbed, shortly hispid, orange-red; fruit-stalk 5–30 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3·5–7 × 2–4 × 0·5–1 mm., ovate in outline, lenticular, smooth, not or obscurely bordered.

[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Trailing or climbing perennial herb to 1.2 m.; stems tough, spreading hispid-hairy, becoming thickened with smooth grey-brown fibrous bark at the base, arising from a ± woody rootstock.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blade broadly ovate or subpentagonal in outline, cordate, ± sinuate-toothed, rather scabrid-hairy above, sparsely to densely often reticulately cinereous-pubescent beneath, 12–78 mm. long, 17–70 mm. broad, obscurely to distinctly palmately 5-lobed; lobes triangular or ovate-triangular, with the central largest; petiole hispid, 8–65 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Dioecious or monoecious. Male flowers 3–9, sessile or clustered on a peduncle up to 5 mm. long; pedicels 5–16 mm. long; receptacle-tube campanulate, 2.5–5 mm. long; lobes filiform, 1–2 mm. long; petals yellow, 3–8 mm. long, 2–3.5 mm. broad, united at the base. Female flowers on 4–16 mm. long stalks; ovary fusiform, hairy, 12–16 mm. long, 1.5–2.5 mm. across, sometimes shorter; receptacle-tube campanulate, 3–5 mm. long; lobes filiform, spreading, 2.5–5 mm. long; petals 5–6 mm. long, 3–4.5 mm. broad, united at the base.
sex Male
Male flowers 3–9, sessile or clustered on a peduncle up to 5 mm. long; pedicels 5–16 mm. long; receptacle-tube campanulate, 2.5–5 mm. long; lobes filiform, 1–2 mm. long; petals yellow, 3–8 mm. long, 2–3.5 mm. broad, united at the base.
sex Female
Female flowers on 4–16 mm. long stalks; ovary fusiform, hairy, 12–16 mm. long, 1.5–2.5 mm. across, sometimes shorter; receptacle-tube campanulate, 3–5 mm. long; lobes filiform, spreading, 2.5–5 mm. long; petals 5–6 mm. long, 3–4.5 mm. broad, united at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit on a 5–11 mm. long stalk, ellipsoid and beaked or fusiform, ± longitudinally ribbed, 11–34 mm. long, 7–15 mm. across, orange-red.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds (fig. 18/9) elliptic in outline, compressed, lenticular, smooth, narrowly and obscurely bordered, 3.5–7 × 2–4 × 0.5–1 mm.
Habitat
Bushland, wooded grassland and grassland; 330–2700 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T7 U1 U3 U4 Sudan and eastern Congo Republics

Native to:

Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre

Cucumis engleri (Gilg) Ghebret. & Thulin appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Watermeyer, A.M. [1], Tanzania Cucumella engleri 813.000 No
Gillett, J.B. [14094], Kenya Cucumella engleri 9964.000 No
Drummond, R.B. [4220], Kenya Cucumella engleri 9965.000 No

First published in Novon 17: 177 (2007)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R., Nic Lughadha, E., Black, N., Turner, R. & Paton, A. (2021). The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00997-6 Scientific Data 8: 215.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Keraudren-Aymonin, M. (1975). Flore d'Afrique Centrale (Zaire-rwanda-Burundi), Cucurbitaceae: 1-152. Jardin Botanique National de Belgique.
  • Launert, E. (ed.) (1978). Flora Zambesiaca 4: 1-658. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

  • 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

  • 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 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