Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Metachlamydeae: Cucurbitales

Cucurbitaceae - Cucumber family

Jeffrey, C. (1978) Cucurbitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4

Description of the family

Climbing or prostrate, annual or perennial, monoecious or dioecious, herbs, less often woody lianes, rarely erect herbs without tendrils. Leaves alternate, palmately veined and often palmately lobed. Tendrils usually 1 at each node, rarely 0. Flowers unisexual, epigynous, axillary. Glandular bract-like "probracts" sometimes present at base of peduncles. Petals usually 5, free or united; corolla usually actinomorphic. Stamens basically 5 but commonly modified; staminodes often present in female flowers. Ovary inferior, 1(-3)-locular. Style with 2 or 3 lobes or styles 3. Fruit a capsule, berry or hard-shelled pepo.

Worldwide: 120 genera and 775 species, mainly in tropical and warm areas, with a few temperate species.

Botswana: 13 genera and 40 taxa.

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Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Acanthosicyos Welw. ex Hook. f.Description
Citrullus Schrad. ex Eckl. & Zeyh.Description, Image
Coccinia Wight & Arn.Description
Corallocarpus Welw. ex Hook. f.Description
Ctenolepis Hook. f.Description
Cucumis L.Description
Kedrostis Medik.Description, Image
Lagenaria Ser.Description
Momordica L.Description
Mukia Arn.Description
Oreosyce Hook. f.Description
Trochomeria Hook. f.Description
Zehneria Endl.Description

Other sources of information about Cucurbitaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: cultivated Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Malawi: Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Zambia: Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Cucurbitaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Cucurbitaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Cucurbitaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Cucurbitaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Cucurbitaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Cucurbitaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Cucurbitaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Cucurbitaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Cucurbitaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Cucurbitaceae
Wikipedia: Cucurbitaceae
Plants of the World Online: Cucurbitaceae
Tropicos: Cucurbitaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Botswana: Family page: Cucurbitaceae.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=65, retrieved 19 March 2024

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