The
plantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cucurbitaceae consists of various squashes,
melonthumb|200px|Various types of melonsThis list of melons includes members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae with edible, fleshy fruit e.g. gourds or cucurbits. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit...
s, and
gourdA gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
s, including crops such as
cucumberThe cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
, pumpkins,
luffaThe luffa, loofah, or lufah are tropical and subtropical vines comprising the genus Luffa, the only genus of the subtribe Luffinae of the plant family Cucurbitaceae...
s, and
watermelonWatermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...
s. The family is predominantly distributed around the tropics, where those with edible fruits were amongst the earliest cultivated plants in both the Old and New Worlds.
The Cucurbitaceae are an important family consisting of approximately 125 genera and 960 species, mainly in regions tropical and subtropical. All species are sensitive to frost.
Most of the plants in this family are
annualAn annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
vineA vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
s but there are also woody
lianaA liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
s, thorny shrubs, and trees (
DendrosicyosDendrosicyos is a monotypic genus in the Cucurbitaceae. The only species is Dendrosicyos socotranus, the cucumber tree. The species is endemic to the island of Socotra in Yemen, and is the only species in the Cucurbitaceae to grow in a tree form.- Features :It has a bulbous trunk and a small crown....
). Many species have large, yellow or white flowers. The stems are hairy and pentangular.
TendrilIn botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
s are present at 90° to the leaf petioles at nodes. Leaves are exstipulate alternate simple
palmatelyIn botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
lobed or palmately compound. The flowers are unisexual, with male and female flowers on different plants (dioecious) or on the same plant (monoecious). The female flowers have inferior ovaries. The fruit is often a kind of modified
berryThe botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
called a
pepoPepo may refer to:*Pepo , a 1935 Armenian film made by Hamo Beknazarian*Pepo, a modified berry with a hard outer rind*Pepo , an 11th century law teacher at the University of Bologna...
.
Classification
There are about 125 extant genera in Cucurbitaceae, including 960 species. The following is the classification as given by Charles Jeffrey .
Subfamily Zanonioideae (small striate pollen grains)
- Tribe Zanonieae
- Subtribe Fevilleinae: Fevillea
Fevillea is a genus of the plant family Cucurbitaceae and the only genus of the subtribe Fevilleinae. Some references suggest that there is only one member of this genus, Fevillea cordifolia...
- Subtribe Zanoniinae: Alsomitra
Alsomitra is a genus of the plant family Cucurbitaceae .The seeds of Alsomitra macrocarpa are among the largest winged seeds in the Plant Kingdom and their shape inspired Igo Etrich to build gliders, later it would inspire the Horten brothers to build the first flying wing aircraft.-Selected...
ZanoniaZanonia is a monotypic genus in the flowering plant family Cucurbitaceae .The only species is Zanonia indica, a medium-sized liana found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia east to New Guinea. It has a number of subspecies.-External links:*** * KBD: Kew Bibliographic Databases of Royal...
Siolmatra GerrardanthusGerrardanthus is a genus of flowering plants native to tropical Africa and South Africa, first described by William Henry Harvey , and named in honor of William Tyrer Gerrard , botanical collector in Natal and Madagascar in the 1860s.Gerrardanthus is a perennial climber, with height up to 5 meters,...
Zygosicyos XerosicyosXerosicyos is a flowering plant genus of the family Cucurbitaceae. Its name comes from Greek xeros and sicyos . There are three species, all endemic to Madagascar. Xerosicyos danguyi is a large liana with thick stems and round, gray succlent leaves. It is common in cultivation and often called...
Neoalsomitra
- Subtribe Gomphogyninae: Hemsleya Gomphogyne Gynostemma
- Subtribe Actinostemmatinae: Bolbostemma Actinostemma
- Subtribe Sicydiinae: Sicydium Chalema Pteropepon Pseudosicydium Cyclantheropsis
Subfamily CucurbitoideaeThe Cucurbitoideae is a subfamily of the Cucurbitaceae, or gourd family, of flowering plants. The Cucurbitaceae are divided into two subfamilies, the Zanonioideae, probably a paraphyletic group of remainders, and the well-supported monophyletic Cucurbitoideae....
(styles united into a single column)
- Tribe Melothrieae
- Subtribe Dendrosicyinae: Kedrostis Dendrosicyos
Dendrosicyos is a monotypic genus in the Cucurbitaceae. The only species is Dendrosicyos socotranus, the cucumber tree. The species is endemic to the island of Socotra in Yemen, and is the only species in the Cucurbitaceae to grow in a tree form.- Features :It has a bulbous trunk and a small crown....
Corallocarpus Ibervillea Tumamoca Halosicyos Ceratosanthes Doyerea Trochomeriopsis SeyrigiaSeyrigia albopunctata is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae, the only species in the genus Seyrigia....
Dieterlea Cucurbitella ApodantheraApodanthera is a genus of plants in the family Cucurbitaceae....
Guraniopsis Melothrianthus Wilbrandia
- Subtribe Guraniinae: Helmontia Psiguria Gurania
- Subtribe Cucumerinae: Melancium Cucumeropsis Posadaea Melothria Muellarargia Zehneria
Zehneria is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Joseph Zehner....
CucumisCucumis is a genus of twining, tendril-bearing plants in the Cucurbitaceae family which includes the cucumber, true melons, the horned melon, and Cucumis anguria, the West Indian gherkin...
(including: MukiaMukia may refer to*an animal genus in the family Crambidae*a plant genus synonym of Cucumis...
, Dicaelospermum, Cucumella, Oreosyce, and Myrmecosicyos ).
- Subtribe Trochomeriinae: Solena Trochomeria Dactyliandra Ctenolepsis
- Tribe Schizopeponeae: Schizopepon
- Tribe Joliffieae
- Subtribe Thladianthinae: Indofevillea Siraitia
Siraitia is a genus of plants from the Cucurbitaceae family. It includes at least the following species:*Siraitia grosvenorii , from China and Thailand*Siraitia siamensis, from Thailand...
Thladiantha MomordicaMomordica is a genus of about 60 species of annual or perennial climbers herbaceous or rarely small shrubs belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, natives of tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia and Australia...
- Subtribe Telfairiinae: Telfaria
- Tribe Trichosantheae
- Subtribe Hodgsoniinae: Hodgsonia
Hodgsonia is a small genus of fruit-bearing vines in the family Cucurbitaceae.Hodgsonia was named for Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1853 by British botanists Joseph Dalton Hooker and Thomas Thomson, who examined the plant under Hodgson's hospitality in the Himalaya.-Classification:*Hodgsonia...
- Subtribe Ampelosicyinae: Ampelosicyos Peponium
- Subtribe Trichosanthinae: Gymnopetalum Trichosanthes
Trichosanthes is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines. They belong to the cucumber family , and are closely related to Gymnopetalum. Hodgsonia, formerly included here, is usually considered a well-distinct genus nowadays....
Tricyclandra
- Subtribe Herpetosperminae: Cephalopentandra Biswarea Herpetospermum Edgaria
- Tribe Benincaseae
- Subtribe Benincasinae: Cogniauxia Ruthalicia Lagenaria
Lagenaria is a genus of gourd bearing vines from the family Cucurbitaceae, also known as the "Squash" family. It contains at least seven species, one of which is known as the Calabash . Its species fruit can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable or harvested mature, dried, and used as...
Benincasa Praecitrullus CitrullusCitrullus is a small genus of desert vines, among which Citrullus lanatus is an important crop.- Classifications of Citrullus :A = names approved by most authorities, s = approved as synonyms- Citroides Group :...
AcanthosicyosAcanthosicyos is a genus of thorny shrubs of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae, subfamily Cucurbitoideae. The genus name derives from the Greek words "akantha" for thorn and "sykios" for cucumber or gourd...
EureiandraEureiandra is a genus of plant in family Cucurbitaceae....
Bambekea NothoalsomitraNothoalsomitra suberosa is a species of subtropical vines in the family Curcubitaceae, the only member of the monotypic genus Nothoalsomitra. Native to Australia, the species is a vigorous climber with pale corky bark and leaves divided into three triangular leaflets. Flowers have a yellow corolla...
CocciniaThe Scarlet gourds is a genus with 28-30 species.. It is distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and with one species in South and Southeast Asia that is also introduced into the New World. It is best known for the cultivated crop C. grandis, the Ivy gourd.References:...
DiplocyclosDiplocyclos is a genus of climbimg or trailing vine in the family Cucurbitaceae. The genus comprises four or five species. D. palmatus is pantropical in distribution and the remainder of species are restricted to Africa...
Raphidiocystis Lemurosicyos Zombitsia Ecballium Bryonia
- Subtribe Luffinae: Luffa
The luffa, loofah, or lufah are tropical and subtropical vines comprising the genus Luffa, the only genus of the subtribe Luffinae of the plant family Cucurbitaceae...
- Tribe Cucurbiteae
The Cucurbiteae is a tribe of the Cucurbitaceae subfamily, which is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, or gourd family, of flowering plants.The tribe consists of 13 genera...
(pantoporate, spiny pollen): CucurbitaCucurbita is a genus in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae first cultivated in Mesoamerica and now used in many parts of the world. It includes species grown for their fruit and edible seeds , as well as some species grown only as gourds...
Sicana Tecunumania Calycophysum Peponopsis Anacaona Polyclathra Schizocarpum Penelopeia Cionosicyos Cayaponia Selysia AbobraAbobra is a monotypic genus of the gourd family containing the one species Abobra tenuifolia . It is native to South America, and sometimes cultivated as ornamental plants and also for its edible fruits. Common names include cranberry gourd.-External links:*...
- Tribe Sicyeae (trichomatous nectary, 4- to 10-colporate pollen grains)
- Subtribe Cyclantherinae: Hanburia
Hanburia is a genus of trilobite known from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale....
Echinopepon Marah EchinocystisEchinocystis is a genus in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae which includesthe species Echinocystis lobata, commonly called wild cucumberor prickly cucumber.Some authors include the manroots in Echinocystis....
Vaseyanthus BrandegeaBrandegea is a monotypic genus containing the single species Brandegea bigelovii, the desert starvine. This sprawling perennial vine in the squash family is native to the deserts of California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. The distinctive small, dark-green leaves are variable in shape but are...
Apatzingania Cremastopus Elateriopsis Pseudocyclanthera Cyclanthera Rytidostylis
- Subtribe Sicyinae: Sicyos
Sicyos is a flowering plant genus of the family Cucurbitaceae.Members of the genus are commonly known as burr cucumbers.-Selected species:-Formerly placed here:* Blastania garcini Cogn....
Sicyosperma Parasicyos Microsechium SechiumSechium is a genus in subtribe Sicyinea of the tribe Sicyeae of the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. Its best knownmember is the edible and widely cultivated Chayote....
Sechiopsis Pterosicyos
- incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
: Odosicyos
Alphabetical list of genera:
AbobraAbobra is a monotypic genus of the gourd family containing the one species Abobra tenuifolia . It is native to South America, and sometimes cultivated as ornamental plants and also for its edible fruits. Common names include cranberry gourd.-External links:*...
AcanthosicyosAcanthosicyos is a genus of thorny shrubs of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae, subfamily Cucurbitoideae. The genus name derives from the Greek words "akantha" for thorn and "sykios" for cucumber or gourd...
Actinostemma
AlsomitraAlsomitra is a genus of the plant family Cucurbitaceae .The seeds of Alsomitra macrocarpa are among the largest winged seeds in the Plant Kingdom and their shape inspired Igo Etrich to build gliders, later it would inspire the Horten brothers to build the first flying wing aircraft.-Selected...
Ampelosycios Anacaona Apatzingania
ApodantheraApodanthera is a genus of plants in the family Cucurbitaceae....
Bambekea Benincasa Biswarea Bolbostemma
BrandegeaBrandegea is a monotypic genus containing the single species Brandegea bigelovii, the desert starvine. This sprawling perennial vine in the squash family is native to the deserts of California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. The distinctive small, dark-green leaves are variable in shape but are...
Bryonia Calycophysum Cayaponia Cephalopentandra Ceratosanthes Chalema Cionosicyos
CitrullusCitrullus is a small genus of desert vines, among which Citrullus lanatus is an important crop.- Classifications of Citrullus :A = names approved by most authorities, s = approved as synonyms- Citroides Group :...
CocciniaThe Scarlet gourds is a genus with 28-30 species.. It is distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and with one species in South and Southeast Asia that is also introduced into the New World. It is best known for the cultivated crop C. grandis, the Ivy gourd.References:...
Cogniauxia Corallocarpus Cremastopus Ctenolepis Cucumella Cucumeropsis
CucumisCucumis is a genus of twining, tendril-bearing plants in the Cucurbitaceae family which includes the cucumber, true melons, the horned melon, and Cucumis anguria, the West Indian gherkin...
CucurbitaCucurbita is a genus in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae first cultivated in Mesoamerica and now used in many parts of the world. It includes species grown for their fruit and edible seeds , as well as some species grown only as gourds...
Cucurbitella Cyclanthera Dactyliandra
DendrosicyosDendrosicyos is a monotypic genus in the Cucurbitaceae. The only species is Dendrosicyos socotranus, the cucumber tree. The species is endemic to the island of Socotra in Yemen, and is the only species in the Cucurbitaceae to grow in a tree form.- Features :It has a bulbous trunk and a small crown....
Dicaelospermum Dieterlea
DiplocyclosDiplocyclos is a genus of climbimg or trailing vine in the family Cucurbitaceae. The genus comprises four or five species. D. palmatus is pantropical in distribution and the remainder of species are restricted to Africa...
Doyerea Ecballium
EchinocystisEchinocystis is a genus in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae which includesthe species Echinocystis lobata, commonly called wild cucumberor prickly cucumber.Some authors include the manroots in Echinocystis....
Echinopepon Edgaria Elateriopsis
EureiandraEureiandra is a genus of plant in family Cucurbitaceae....
FevilleaFevillea is a genus of the plant family Cucurbitaceae and the only genus of the subtribe Fevilleinae. Some references suggest that there is only one member of this genus, Fevillea cordifolia...
GerrardanthusGerrardanthus is a genus of flowering plants native to tropical Africa and South Africa, first described by William Henry Harvey , and named in honor of William Tyrer Gerrard , botanical collector in Natal and Madagascar in the 1860s.Gerrardanthus is a perennial climber, with height up to 5 meters,...
Gomphogyne Gurania Guraniopsis Gymnopetalum Gynostemma Halosicyos
HanburiaHanburia is a genus of trilobite known from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale....
Helmontia Hemsleya Herpetospermum
HodgsoniaHodgsonia is a small genus of fruit-bearing vines in the family Cucurbitaceae.Hodgsonia was named for Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1853 by British botanists Joseph Dalton Hooker and Thomas Thomson, who examined the plant under Hodgson's hospitality in the Himalaya.-Classification:*Hodgsonia...
Ibervillea Indofevillea Kedrostis
LagenariaLagenaria is a genus of gourd bearing vines from the family Cucurbitaceae, also known as the "Squash" family. It contains at least seven species, one of which is known as the Calabash . Its species fruit can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable or harvested mature, dried, and used as...
Lemurosicyos
LuffaThe luffa, loofah, or lufah are tropical and subtropical vines comprising the genus Luffa, the only genus of the subtribe Luffinae of the plant family Cucurbitaceae...
Marah Melancium Melothria Melothrianthus Microsechium
MomordicaMomordica is a genus of about 60 species of annual or perennial climbers herbaceous or rarely small shrubs belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, natives of tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia and Australia...
Muellerargia
MukiaMukia may refer to*an animal genus in the family Crambidae*a plant genus synonym of Cucumis...
Myrmecosicyos Neoalsomitra
NothoalsomitraNothoalsomitra suberosa is a species of subtropical vines in the family Curcubitaceae, the only member of the monotypic genus Nothoalsomitra. Native to Australia, the species is a vigorous climber with pale corky bark and leaves divided into three triangular leaflets. Flowers have a yellow corolla...
Odosicyos Oreosyce Parasicyos Penelopeia Peponium Peponopsis Polyclathra Posadaea Praecitrullus Pseudocyclanthera Pseudosicydium Psiguria Pteropepon Pterosicyos Raphidiocystis Ruthalicia Rytidostylis Schizocarpum Schizopepon Sechiopsis
SechiumSechium is a genus in subtribe Sicyinea of the tribe Sicyeae of the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. Its best knownmember is the edible and widely cultivated Chayote....
Selysia
SeyrigiaSeyrigia albopunctata is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae, the only species in the genus Seyrigia....
Sicana Sicydium
SicyosSicyos is a flowering plant genus of the family Cucurbitaceae.Members of the genus are commonly known as burr cucumbers.-Selected species:-Formerly placed here:* Blastania garcini Cogn....
Sicyosperma Siolmatra
SiraitiaSiraitia is a genus of plants from the Cucurbitaceae family. It includes at least the following species:*Siraitia grosvenorii , from China and Thailand*Siraitia siamensis, from Thailand...
Solena Tecunumania
TelfairiaTelfairia is a small genus of flowering plants in the squash family which are native to Africa. They include Telfairia occidentalis, the fluted pumpkin, which is an important vegetable in Nigeria and other African nations. It is also known as the oyster nut, a common name it shares with its...
Thladiantha
TrichosanthesTrichosanthes is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines. They belong to the cucumber family , and are closely related to Gymnopetalum. Hodgsonia, formerly included here, is usually considered a well-distinct genus nowadays....
Tricyclandra Trochomeria Trochomeriopsis Tumacoca Vaseyanthus Wilbrandia
XerosicyosXerosicyos is a flowering plant genus of the family Cucurbitaceae. Its name comes from Greek xeros and sicyos . There are three species, all endemic to Madagascar. Xerosicyos danguyi is a large liana with thick stems and round, gray succlent leaves. It is common in cultivation and often called...
ZanoniaZanonia is a monotypic genus in the flowering plant family Cucurbitaceae .The only species is Zanonia indica, a medium-sized liana found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia east to New Guinea. It has a number of subspecies.-External links:*** * KBD: Kew Bibliographic Databases of Royal...
ZehneriaZehneria is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Joseph Zehner....
Zombitsia Zygosicyos
Ref:
Watson and Dallwitz 3 September 2002
External links