Cucumis bryoniifolius (Merxm.) Ghebret. & Thulin

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Stems slender, annual, prostrate or scandent, rather sparsely hispid-spiculate.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina 1–4·5 × 1–6·5 cm., membraneous, ovate or broadly ovate in outline, cordate, shortly asperulous above, hispid or scabrid beneath especially on the veins, plane or remotely and obscurely to coarsely sinuate-denticulate at the margins, shallowly to rather deeply palmately 3–5-lobed, lobes ovate-triangular or ovate to elliptic, oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, acute to obtuse or rounded, shortly apiculate, the central largest.

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petioles 1–6·5 cm. long, shortly rather finely hispid or scabrid with spreading or recurved hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Monoecious. male flowers solitary or rarely 2–3 together; pedicels 11–30 mm. long, slender. Receptacle-tube 3–5 mm. long, obconic; lobes 0·5–1·5(5) mm. long, filiform. Petals 3·5–7 mm. long, yellow. Female flowers on 11–24 mm. long pedicels; ovary 4–6 × 1·5–2·5 mm., ovoid or ovoid-rostrate, densely hirsute; perianth similar to that of male flowers.

sex Male

male flowers solitary or rarely 2–3 together; pedicels 11–30 mm. long, slender. Receptacle-tube 3–5 mm. long, obconic; lobes 0·5–1·5(5) mm. long, filiform. Petals 3·5–7 mm. long, yellow.

sex Female

Female flowers on 11–24 mm. long pedicels; ovary 4–6 × 1·5–2·5 mm., ovoid or ovoid-rostrate, densely hirsute; perianth similar to that of male flowers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 2–3 × 1·3–1·5 cm., ellipsoid, terete, obtuse, fleshy, smooth, glabrous or sparsely setulose, dark green with irregular longitudinal whitish bands; fruit-stalk 3–4 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 3·2 × 2 × 0·5 mm., ovate in outline, compressed, smooth, bordered.

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967

Morphology General Habit

Slender trailer or climber; stems herbaceous, shortly hairy.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blade broadly ovate-cordate in outline, shortly hispid-hairy, subentire or ± sinuate-serrate, 11–29 mm. long, 15–38 mm. broad, ± deeply palmately 3–5-lobed; lobes triangular, not narrowed below, ovate, hardly narrowed below, or obovate or elliptic, narrowed below, with the central largest, acute or obtuse and apiculate; petiole 9–30 mm. long, retrorsely hispid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Monoecious. Female flowers on 4–17 mm. long stalks; ovary narrowly ovoid, hairy, ± 6 mm. long and 2 mm. across; receptacle-tube ± 3 mm. long; lobes filiform, 1 mm. long; petals ± 5 mm. long. Male flowers 1(–2) on 12–20 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube campanulate, ± 3 mm. long; lobes filiform, 1 mm. long; petals ± 5 mm. long, yellow; anther-thecae apically hooked.

sex Male

Male flowers 1(–2) on 12–20 mm. long pedicels; receptacle-tube campanulate, ± 3 mm. long; lobes filiform, 1 mm. long; petals ± 5 mm. long, yellow; anther-thecae apically hooked.

sex Female

Female flowers on 4–17 mm. long stalks; ovary narrowly ovoid, hairy, ± 6 mm. long and 2 mm. across; receptacle-tube ± 3 mm. long; lobes filiform, 1 mm. long; petals ± 5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit (fig. 18/8, p. 112) on a 31–41 mm. long stalk, ellipsoid, rounded at the apex, 21–29 mm. long, 13–17 mm. across, rather firm-walled, dark green, obscurely striped with irregular paler bands.

Habitat

Among rocks; ± 900 m.

Distribution

T4 T5