Cucumis dipsaceus

Ehrenberg in E. Spach

in E. Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 6: 211. 1838.

Common names: Hedgehog or teasel gourd
Introduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 38. Mentioned on page 4, 34.

Plants: roots thin, without thick, woody rootstock. Tendrils proximally hispidulous, distally glabrous. Leaves: petiole weakly hispidulous to hispid; blade ovate to broadly ovate, unlobed to 3-lobate, 3–7.5 (–12.5) × 2–7 (–12) cm, length 1.1–1.5 times width, base cordate, lobes ovate to elliptic, margins serrate or entire. Inflorescences: pedicels of pistillate flowers and fruits cylindric; staminate flowers 1 or 2–7, usually in racemoid fascicles, rarely racemes; pistillate flowers: calyx lobes 5–6 (–11) mm, petals 6–15 mm, corolla-tube 1–1.5 mm, lobes glabrous inside. Pepos pale-yellow, monocolor, ellipsoid to ellipsoid-cylindric or globose, 3.5–7 × 2.5–4 cm, densely echinate at maturity, spinules narrowly cylindric, mostly obscuring fruit surface, flesh light yellow. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat: Open shrublands, thicket edges, riparian corridors, stream banks, sandy and loamy soil
Elevation: 50–100 m

Distribution

V6 61-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Tex., Africa, also in Mexico, Pacific Islands (Galapagos Islands), Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Australia

Discussion

Cucumis dipsaceus is documented as adventive in Texas by collections from Hidalgo and Webb counties. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental because of its distinctive fruits.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Cucumis dipsaceus"
distinct +  and connate +
Guy L. Nesom +
Ehrenberg in E. Spach +
cordate +
7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br /> (12.5 cm125 mm <br />0.125 m <br />) +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
ovate;broadly ovate unlobed +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
tubular +, saucer--shaped +, campanulate +  and rotate +
Hedgehog or teasel gourd +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
campanulate;infundibular +
Tex. +, Africa +, also in Mexico +, Pacific Islands (Galapagos Islands) +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +  and Australia +
50–100 m +
furrowed +  and echinate +
dehiscent +  and indehiscent +
bristly +, smooth +, hairy +  and glabrous +
tuberculate +  and muricate +
fleshy +  and hard +
light yellow +
pistillate +  and staminate +
green +  and yellow orange or tan with light or tan with dark green punct white yellow brown or orange +
Open shrublands, thicket edges, riparian corridors, stream banks, sandy and loamy soil +
perennial +
dioecious +  and monoecious +
infundibular;campanulate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
umbellate;subumbellate +
solitary +, corymbose +, fasciculate +, racemose +  and paniculate +
petiolate +, estipulate +  and simple +
ovate;elliptic +
entire +  and serrate +
fimbriate +
not differentiated +
ovoid;ellipsoid +
cylindric +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
induplicate-valvate +  and imbricate +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3.7 cm37 mm <br />0.037 m <br />) +
connate +  and distinct +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
elliptic;ovate or obovate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
weakly hispidulous;hispid +
Flowering Jul–Sep. +
in E. Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. +
not arillate +
compressed +, ellipsoid +  and ovoid +
straight +
linear;oblong or +
Introduced +
cylindric +
climbing +  and procumbent +
sprawling +  and prostrate +
hispid;hirsute +
sublobate +  and 3-lobed +
short-columnar +
echinate +  and eglandular +
ridged +  and aculeate +
Cucumella +, Dicoelospermum +, Melo +, Mukia +, Myrmecosicyos +  and Oreosyce +
Cucumis dipsaceus +
species +
2-branched +  and unbranched +
glabrous +  and hispidulous +
distinct +
andromonoecious +, dioecious +  and monoecious +