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Cucumis sativus L.
| Family Name: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Common Name: | Cucumber, Gherkin, Timun, Mentimun, 黄瓜 |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Climber |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Annual |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | A monoecious, annual with a climbing or creeping growth form. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The simple leaves are arranged alternately along the stem and are triangular-ovate with a cordate leaf base and a dentate leaf margin. |
| Stems | The stems are branched, can grow up to 5m in length and are covered with stiff, bristly hairs. |
| Flowers | The flowers are borne in the axillary leaf nodes and are unisexual and occasionally hermaphroditic. The male flowers are borne in clusters while the female flowers are solitary and have short, thick flower stalks (pedicels). Both flowers have a widely bell-shaped, 5-lobed corolla which is wrinkled and hairy in texture. |
| Fruit | The fruit is a pendulous pepo and is very variable in shape, size and colour. The fruit surface is scattered with small, sharp spines when young and has pale green flesh and have many seeds. The white seeds are flat, smooth and ovate-oblong in shape. |
| Cultivation | It is ideally grown under full sun, in fertile and well-drained growing media with pH of 6.5 to 7.5 and at the optimum temperature of 30°C. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits Food (Fruit or Vegetable): The immature fruits are used in salads or pickled and eaten. The young shoots are eaten raw or steamed in South-East Asia. In Irian Jaya (Indonesia), ripe cucumbers are taken along by travellers on long foot trips to quench thirst. |
Landscaping Features
| Landscape Uses | Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens, Trellis / Arbour / Pergola |
|---|---|
| Thematic Landscaping | Economic Garden |
| Usage Hazard - Cons | Spines/Thorns - Fruit |
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils |
| Diseases | Angular leaf-spot, powdery mildew and downy mildew. |
| Propagation Method | Seed |
| Seed / Spore Germination Duration | 3 days |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage |
| Foliar Margin | Dentate |
| Foliar Base | Cordate |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Unisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Yellow / Golden |
|---|---|
| Flower Texture(s) | Wrinkled, Thin |
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Flower Symmetry | Radial |
| Individual Flower Shape | Campaulate / Bell-shaped |
Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 29570 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 3879 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
