Cucurbitaceae
Cucumis

Cucumis hastatus Thulin

First published in Nordic J. Bot. 11: 535 (1991)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. & S. Ethiopia to S. Somalia. It is a scrambling perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type
S1, 2°45’N, 44°15’E, Thulin, Hedrén & Abdi Dahir 7765 (UPS holo., K MOG iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Trailing or climbing perennial herb to several m long; stems scabrid
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blade ovate to triangular, truncate to subcordate, sinuate-dentate, hispid, 1.2–6 x 1.2–6.5 cm, unlobed or usually ± hastate with 2(–4) basal acute to rounded lobes and a much larger ovate-triangular to ovate-oblong central lobe, ± rounded to acute; petiole 0.4–1.2 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Monoecious
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers solitary Female flowers solitary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 1.5–4(–10) mm long Pedicel 0.8–2.5 cm long Pedicels 3–12 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
Hypanthium 3.5–6.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals filiform, 1.2–3.2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, 3.5–7.2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary ellipsoid, c. 7–8 mm long, tuberculate-scabrid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth similar to that in male flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit broadly ellipsoid, c. 4–6 x 2.7–5 cm, green or greenish-yellow, tuberculate, the tubercles scattered, c. 0.5–1.2 mm long, broadly conical with acute tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds elliptic in outline, c. 5.5–6 x 2.5–3 mm.
Distribution
C1, 2; S1, 2; E Ethiopia
Ecology
Altitude range c. 100–450 m.
Vernacular
Honguran, kurehre, quraari jiifo (Somali).
[FSOM]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use
Fruits eaten by goats and people; juice of plant used against sinusitis.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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 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