Cucumis cinereus
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Image 1
Habit
05 Mar 2009
Image 2
Leaves
05 Mar 2009
Image 3
Fruit
07 Jul 2011
Image 4
Tendril
05 Mar 2009
Image 5
Fruit
05 Mar 2009
Image 6
Flower
05 Apr 2009
| Family: | Curcurbitaceae |
| Full name: | Cucumis cinereus (Cogn.) Ghebretinsar & Thulin |
| ID status: | Fairly certain |
| Afrikaans common name(s): | - |
| English common name(s): | - |
| Synonym(s): | Kedrostis cinerea Cogn. Kedrostis gracilis R.Fern. Melothria breyeri Burtt Davy Melothria cinerea (Cogn.) A.Meeuse Melothria hispidula Burtt Davy Cucumella cinerea (Cogn.) C.Jeffrey (previous name according to Joseph Kirkbride) |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: | Vines, herbs, or subshubs; monoccious. Stems hispidulous or retrorse-strigose. Stem hairs 0.1-1 mm long (sometimes with hairs of 2 lengths, the longer ones on the ridges and the shorter in the grooves). Leaves: Petioles cylindrical; sulcate in cross-section; 1.5-5(5.5) cm long; pubescence a single type on each petiole; hispidulous or retrorse-strigose. Leaf blades pentalobate to 5-palmately lobed (rarely); broadly ovate to shallowly ovate (rarely) in outline; cordate at the base; with a basal sinus; acute to broadly acute or obtuse at the apex; 1.8-6.5 x 1.5-6 cm; 0.7-1.2 times longer than wide; hispidulous on the upper surface; hispidulous on the veins below; hispidulous on the intervenium below; not ciliate on the margins. Central leaf-blade lobe symmetrical; very broadly triangular or shallowly ovate in outline; acute to broadly acute or obtuse at the apex; 0.7-2 x 0.9-4 cm. Lateral leafblade lobes entire; shallowly triangular or shallowly ovate in outline; acute to broadly acute or obtuse at the apex; 0.3-1.2 x 0.5-2.2 cm. Tendrils: 4-5 cm long. Male inflorescences: Racemose; 5-19-flowered; sessile. Male flowers: Pedicel terete in cross-section: 2-10.5 mm long; hispidulous. Hypanthium campanulate; 2.8-4 mm long; hispidulous. Calyx lobes narrowly oblong, linear, or triangular in outline; 0.7-2.4 mm long. Corolla puberulent outside; sparsely puberulent inside. Corolla lobes elliptic to broadly elliptic or obovate in outline: acute to broadly acute at the apex; 2.6-5.6 x 2-5.6 mm; puberulent outside. Stamens separating from the hypanthium 1.3-1.6 mm from the base ofthe hypanthium. Filaments 0.3-0.4 mm long. Anther thecae straight, without bends; 1.6-1.8 mm long; puberulous (on margins). Anther connective extended. Disc cylindrical or fungiform. Female inflorescences: A solitary flower. Female flowers: Pedicel terete in outline; 2.8-14 mm long. Hypanthium hour-glass shaped; distinctly ridged. Ridges on hypanthium 6. The lower 2/3 to 3/4 of hypanthium fused to the ovary. Fused portion of hypanthium ovoid: 3.6-5.2 mm long; 1.2-1.4 mm in diam. not aculeate. Free portion of hypanthium 1.6-2 mm long; 1.6-2 mm in diam. Calyx lobes narrowly oblong or narrowly triangular in outline; 1-1.3 mm long. Corolla lobes obovate in outline abruptly acuminate at the apex. Stigma 1.1-1.2 mm long; with 3 finger-like projections on the margin. Fruit: Monochromous; orange; ovoid; 1.5-2.5 cm long; 0.6-1 cm in diam.; with the pericarp thin; not aculeate; hispidulous; rostrate at the apex (with hypanthium, calyx, and corolla persistent). Beak 0.7-1 cm long. Seeds: Ovate; 4.2-5.2 x 2.4-3 mm; glabrous; with a band of punctations around the edge on both faces; emarginate. (from Revision of Cucumella by Joseph Kirkbride) |
| Link(s) |
African Plant Database
JSTOR Plant Science Kew Herbarium Catalogue BGBM Berlin-Dahlem - Virtual Herbarium Züricher Herbarien Flora of Zimbabwe Fleurs de notre Terre - Galerie Namibie |
| Content last updated: | 22 Nov 2011 |
