Cucumis meeusei
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Image 1
Leaves
03 Jul 2011
Image 2
Leaves
03 Jul 2011
Image 3
Leaves
03 Jul 2011
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Full name: | Cucumis meeusei C.Jeffrey |
| ID status: | Fairly certain |
| Afrikaans common name(s): | Skurweblaar-komkommer |
| English common name(s): | Rough-leaved cucumis |
| Synonym(s): | Cucumis ficifolius auct. - non A.Rich. |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: | Plants: Herbs; perennial; with a woody rootstock; lacking tubers; monoecious. Stems procumbent; sulcate; not aculeate; antrorse-strigose, or retrorse-strigose (to weakly so); with nonbreakaway hairs. Stem hairs 0.4–0.8 mm long. Nodes not geniculate. Internodes 3–6(–8) cm long. Petioles cylindrical; sulcate in cross section. Leaves: Petioles 1–2.5 cm long; not aculeate; pubescence a single type on each petiole; antrorse-strigose, or retrorse-strigose (to weakly so); with nonbreakaway hairs. Leaf blades 5-palmately lobed; weakly with the margin serrate; ovate in outline to broadly ovate in outline; subcordate at the base; with a basal sinus; 0.2–0.6 cm deep; acute at the apex to broadly acute at the apex; 3.5–8.5(–11) cm long; 3–7 cm wide; 1.2–1.6 times longer than wide; antrorse-strigose on the upper surface, or scabrous on the upper surface; not aculeate on the veins below; antrorse-strigose on the veins below (to weakly so); scabrous on the intervenium below, or antrorse-strigose on the intervenium below; not ciliate on the margins; with nonbreakaway hairs. Central leaf-blade lobe symmetrical; entire, or pinnatifid; narrowly elliptic in outline to elliptic in outline; acute at the apex to broadly acute at the apex; 2.5–6.5(–7.5) cm long; 0.2–2.5(–3) cm wide. Lateral leaf-blade lobes assymmetrical; entire; elliptic in outline; acute at the apex to broadly acute at the apex; 0.5–2.5 cm long; 0.4–1.8 cm wide. Tendrils: Present; solitary; simple; 0.5–3(–5) cm long; not aculeate; antrorse-strigose (to weakly so), or retrorse-strigose. Inflorescences: Unisexual. Male inflorescences: A solitary flower; 1-flowered; sessile. Male flowers: Pedicellate. Pedicel terete in cross section; 4–6 mm long; antrorse-strigose, or retrorse-strigose; without bracteoles. Hypanthium infundibular, or campanulate; ca 4.4 mm long; 2.8–3.6 mm in diam; hispid. Calyx lobes 5; triangular in outline; narrowly acute at the apex; 1.6–2.4 mm long; 0.8–1 mm wide; hispidulous. Corolla infundibular; puberulent outside; puberulent inside. Corolla tube 0.8–1.2 mm long; 3.6–4.4 mm in diam; puberulent outside. Corolla lobes broadly elliptic in outline; mucronate at the apex and obtuse at the apex; 4–5.2 mm long; 3.2–4 mm wide; puberulent outside; puberulent inside. Stamens separating from the hypanthium ca 1.6 mm from the base of the hypanthium. Filaments terete in cross section; 0.4–0.8 mm long; 0.3–0.4 mm wide; glabrous. Anther thecae free; sigmoid; 2.2–2.8 mm long; puberulent. Anther connective extended; obovate; unilobate; obtuse at apex; papillate at the apex; 1.2–1.6 mm long; 0.6–1 mm wide; glabrous. Disc cylindrical; 0.6–0.8 mm long; 1.4–1.6 mm in diam; glabrous. Female inflorescences: A solitary flower; 1-x flowered; sessile. Female flowers: Pedicellate. Pedicel terete in outline; 8–13 mm long; antrorse-strigose, or retrorse-strigose; with nonbreakaway hairs; weakly flaring upwards from a narrower base to a wider apex. Hypanthium hour-glass shaped; not distinctly ridged. The lower 2/3s of hypanthium fused to the ovary. Fused portion of hypanthium ellipsoid; 7.2–8 mm long; 4–4.8 mm in diam; not tuberculate; aculeate; glabrous. Aculei stiff; 1–1.8 mm long. Hyaline bristle at apex of aculeus ca 0.5 mm long; 0.4–0.5 times as long as the opaque base. The upper 1/3 of hypanthium free from the ovary. Free portion of hypanthium campanulate; 3.2–4 mm long; ca 4 mm in diam; not aculeate outside; short antrorse-strigose outside; puberulent inside. Calyx lobes 5; narrowly oblong in outline; narrowly acute at the apex; 2.4–2.8 mm long; 0.3–0.4 mm wide; short antrorse-strigose. Corolla infundibular; puberulent outside; puberulent inside. Corolla tube present; 0.4–0.8 mm long; ca 4 mm in diam; puberulent outside. Corolla lobes elliptic in outline; mucronate at the apex and obtuse at the apex; 6.4–8 mm long; 4–4.8 mm wide; puberulent outside; puberulent inside. Staminodes present; separating from the free portion of the hypanthium 1–1.2 mm above the ovary; papilliform; 0.6–0.8 mm long; ca 0.2 mm in diam; glabrous. Style terete in cross section; 1.2–1.6 mm long; ca 0.8 mm in diam; glabrous; subtended by a circular disc. Disc ca 0.4 mm long; 2.2–2.3 mm in diam; glabrous. Stigma cupular; 2.4–4 mm long; ca 3.2 mm in diam; lobate; with 5 finger-like projections on the margin, or with 6 finger-like projections on the margin. Finger-like stigmatic projections 1.2–2.4 mm long; ca 1.2 mm in diam; papillate. Fruit: Not geocarpic, maturing above ground and readily visible. Pedicel terete in cross section; 1.5–4(–6) cm long; antrorse-strigose, or retrorse-strigose; with nonbreakaway hairs; weakly flaring upwards from a narrower base to a wider apex. Fruit monochromous; green (when young), or yellow (when mature); ellipsoid to globose; 4.5–6 cm long; 3.5–4 cm in diam; with the pericarp moderately to very thick; not tuberculate; aculeate (the aculei conical); glabrous; blunt at the apex. Aculei terete; with hyaline bristle lost; 0.5–3.5 mm long; 1.5–4 mm in diam. Seeds: Yellowish white; elliptic; 5.6–6.7 mm long; 2.7–3.2 mm wide; 1.4–1.6 mm thick; glabrous; smooth without evident surface sculpturing; emarginate; unwinged. |
| Link(s) |
African Plant Database
JSTOR Plant Science Kew Herbarium Catalogue BGBM Berlin-Dahlem - Virtual Herbarium Züricher Herbarien iNaturalist (Namibia / Alex Dreyer) iNaturalist (Namibia) iNaturalist (southern Africa) Flora of Zimbabwe Fleurs de notre Terre - Galerie Namibie Tree Atlas of Namibia |
| Content last updated: | 18 Apr 2024 |
