Cucumber
A subtropical plant. It occurs from sea level up to at least 2200 m in the tropics. It is a traditional vegetable in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Protection from wind is needed. It is killed by frost. It needs a temperature above 10°C. In Nepal they grow to 1600 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. In Yunnan.
Also known as:
Adai, Badrang, Bonteng, Dosakaya, Huang-kwa, Kakri, Kakrikai, Kankra, Kankro, Ketimun, Khira, Kikposi, Kiuhri, Kokombra, Kokumba, Kuikaba, Kukaba, Kukama, Kukamba, Kyuuro, Meki, Mekkha, Melu, Morokyu, Mukku, Ogurec, Oi, Pepino, Pipinya, Setimun, Shosha, Sukasa, Taeng-kwa, Teng ran, Timun, Vellarikkai, Wasagu, Wong kwa
Synonyms
- Cucumis sativus var. anatolicus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. anglicus L. H. Bailey
- Cucumis sativus var. cilicicus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. europaeus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. falcatus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. indo-europaeus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. irano-turanicus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. izmir Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. squamosus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. testudaceus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. tuberculatus Gabaev
- Cucumis sativus var. vulgatus Gabaev
- Cucumis setosus Cogn.
Edible Portion
- Fruit, Leaves, Seeds, Vegetable, Seeds - oil
Where does Cucumber grow?
Found in: Africa, Albania, Amazon, Angola, Asia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Bougainville, Brazil, Britain, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Central Asia, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Egypt, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, FSM, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Moldova, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Peru, Philippines, Pohnpei, Poland, Romania, Rotuma, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Serbia, Seychelles, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, Indies, West Zambia, Zimbabwe
Notes: There are about 25 Cucumis species.
Status: It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. A common and well liked vegetable throughout Papua New Guinea.
Growing Cucumber
Cultivation: Batches of 2-3 seeds are normally sown together during the dry season and in new gardens. A spacing of 1 m apart per plant is suitable.
Edible Uses: Usually unripe fruit are eaten raw. Young stem tops and leaves are edible. The kernels of the seeds are edible. They are also roasted. The seeds can be pounded and added to other dishes. The seeds can be pressed for oil. Cucumbers are normally eaten fresh while gherkins are pickled in vinegar.
Production: Harvesting can commence 6-8 weeks after sowing. Up to 10 fruit per plant can be produced.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portionEdible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fruit flesh raw | 10 | 0.6 | 0.3 | Tr | 8 | 0.1 | 96.4 |
Cucumber Photos
References
Ali, A. M. S., 2005, Homegardens in Smallholder Farming Systems: Examples from Bangladesh. Human Ecology, Vol. 33, No. 2 pp. 245-270
Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 149
Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 208
Ara, R. I. T., 2015, Leafy Vegetables in Bangladesh. Photon eBooks. p 164
Barrau, J., 1976, Subsistence Agriculture in Melanesia. Bernice P. Bishop Museu, Bulletin 219 Honolulu Hawaii. Kraus reprint. p 55
Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database."http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
Bernholt, H. et al, 2009, Plant species richness and diversity in urban and peri-urban gardens of Niamey, Niger. Agroforestry Systems 77:159-179
Bianchini, F., Corbetta, F., and Pistoia, M., 1975, Fruits of the Earth. Cassell. p 116
Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 306
Bremness, L., 1994, Herbs. Collins Eyewitness Handbooks. Harper Collins. p 244
Brown, D., 2002, The Royal Horticultural Society encyclopedia of Herbs and their uses. DK Books. p 184
Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew.
Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 707
Bussman, R. W., et al, 2016, A comparative ethnobotany of Khevsureti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:4
Chin, H. F., 1999, Malaysian Vegetables in Colour. Tropical Press. p 44
Cobley, L.S. (rev. Steele, W.M.) 2nd Ed., 1976, An Introduction to the Botany of Tropical Crops. Longmans. p 138
Creasy, R., 2000, The Edible Asian Garden. Periplus p 38
Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 441
Ekman Herbarium records Haiti
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 86
Farooq, S., et al, 2012, Ethnobotanical Studies of the Flora of Tehsil Birmal in South Waziristan Agency, Pakistan. Pak. J. Weed Sci. Res. 18(3): 277-291
Flowerdew, B., 2000, Complete Fruit Book. Kyle Cathie Ltd., London. p 118
Foo, J.T.S.(ed), 1996, A Guide to Common Vegetables. Singapore Science Foundation. p 54
Flora of Pakistan. www.eFloras.org
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 22
French, B.R., 1986, Food Plants of Papua New Guinea, A Compendium. Asia Pacific Science Foundation p 101
French, B.R., 2010, Food Plants of Solomon Islands. A Compendium. Food Plants International Inc. p 137
Furusawa, T., et al, 2014, Interaction between forest biodiversity and people's used of forest resources in Roviana, Solomon Islands: implications for biocultural conservation under socioeconomic changes. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 10:10
Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 253
Hani Medicine of Xishuangbanna, 1999, p 647
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 236
Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 698
Japanese International Research Centre for Agricultural Sciencewww.jircas.affrc.go.jp/project/value_addition/Vegetables
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 72
Kapelle, M., et al, 2000, Useful plants within a Campesino Community in a Costa Rican Montane Cloud Forest. Mountain Research and Development, 20(2): 162-171.
Kays, S. J., and Dias, J. C. S., 1995, Common Names of Commercially Cultivated Vegetables of the World in 15 languages. Economic Botany, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 115-152
Kiple, K.F. & Ornelas, K.C., (eds), 2000, The Cambridge World History of Food. CUP p 1765
Kuvar, S. D. & Shinde, R. D., 2019, Wild Edible Plants used by Kokni Tribe of Nasik District, Maharashtra. Journal of Global Biosciences. Volume 8, Number 2, 2019, pp. 5936-5945 (As Cucumis setosus)
Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 70
Lembogi Biologi Nasional, 1980, Sayur-sayuran. Balai Pustaka, Jakarta. p 64
Macmillan, H.F. (Revised Barlow, H.S., et al) 1991, Tropical Planting and Gardening. Sixth edition. Malayan Nature Society. Kuala Lumpur. p 332, 364
Manandhar, N.P., 2002, Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. p 179
Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 189
Medhi, P. & Borthakur, S. K., 2012, Phytoresources from North Cachur Hills of Assam -3: Edible plants sold at Hflong market. Indian Journal or Natural Products and Resources. 3(1) pp 84-109
Miller, A. G., Morris, M. & Stuart-Smith, S., 1988, Plants of Dhofar. The Southern Region of Oman, Traditional, Economic and Medicinal Uses. Sultanate of Oman. p 116
Murtem, G. & Chaudhrey, P., 2016, An ethnobotanical note on wild edible plants of Upper Eastern Himalaya, India. Brazilian Journal of Biological Sciences, 2016, v. 3, no. 5, p. 63-81
Norrington, L., & Campbell, C., 2001, Tropical Food Gardens. Bloomings Books. p 46
Ochse, J.J. et al, 1931, Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies. Asher reprint. p 191
Omawale, 1973, Guyana's edible plants. Guyana University, Georgetown p 93
Owen, S., 1993, Indonesian Food and Cookery, INDIRA reprints. p 69
Patil, M. V. & Patil, D. A., 2000, Some More Wild Edible Plants of Nasik District (Maharashtra). Ancient Science of Life Vol. X1X (3&4): 102-104 (As Cucumis setosus)
Peekel, P.G., 1984, (Translation E.E.Henty), Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for Naturalists, Division of Botany, Lae, PNG. p 545,
Pham-Hoang Ho, 1999, An Illustrated Flora of Vietnam. Nha Xuat Ban Tre. p 570
Phon, P., 2000, Plants used in Cambodia. © Pauline Dy Phon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. p 183
Pieroni, A., 2008, Local plant resources in the ethnobotany of Theth, a village in the Northern Albanian Alps. Genet Resour Crop Evol (2008) 55:1197–1214
Pieroni, A. et al, 2013, One century later: the folk botanical knowledge of the last remaining Albanians of the upper Reka Valley, Mount Korab, Western Macedonia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 9:22
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu/antilles/West Indies
Polunin, O., & Stainton, A., 2006, Flowers of the Himalaya, Oxford India Paperbacks. p 151
Purseglove, J.W., 1968, Tropical Crops Dicotyledons, Longmans. p 114
Rajapaksha, U., 1998, Traditional Food Plants in Sri Lanka. HARTI, Sri Lanka. p 146
Rashid, H. E., 1977, Geography of Bangladesh. Westview. p 263
Schneider, E., 2001, Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The essential reference. HarperCollins. p 239
Sen, R., et al, 1985, Ethnobotanical Uses of Herbaria - 4 J. Econ. Tax. Bot. Vol 6. No.2 pp 331-335 (As Cucumis setosus)
Sharma, B.B., 2005, Growing fruits and vegetables. Publications Division. Ministry of Information and broadcasting. India. p 170
Siemonsma, J. S. and Piluek, K. (Eds), 1994, Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 8 Vegetables. Prosea Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia, p 157
Sillitoe, P. 1995, An Ethnobotanical Account of the Plant Resources of the Wola Region, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. J. Ethnobiol. 15(2): 201-235
Small, E., 2009, Top 100 Food Plants. The world's most important culinary crops. NRC Research Press. p 239
Solomon, C., 2001, Encyclopedia of Asian Food. New Holland. p 111
Sp. pl. 2:1012. 1753
Stanley, T. D. & Ross, E. M., 1986, Flora of south-eastern Queensland Volume 2. Queensland Government p 111
Staples, G.W. and Herbst, D.R., 2005, A tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. p 265
Sukenti, K., et al, 2016, Ethnobotanical study on local cuisine of the Sasak tribe in Lombok Island, Indonesia. Journal of Ethnic Foods. 3 (2016) 189-200 p 198
Terra, G.J.A., 1973, Tropical Vegetables. Communication 54e Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, p 42
Thaman, R.R., 1976, The Tongan Agricultural System, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. p 393
Thaman, R. R., 1987, Plants of Kiribati: A listing and analysis of vernacular names. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 296
Thaman, R. R, 2016, The flora of Tuvalu. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 611. Smithsonian Institute p 81
Tindall, H.D., & Williams, J.T., 1977, Tropical Vegetables and their Genetic Resources, International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, Rome, p 45
Tindall, H.D., 1983, Vegetables in the tropics. Macmillan p. 159
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Available: www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/econ.pl (10 April 2000)
Vael, L., 2015, Ethnobotanical study of the plant use in the natural landscape of two mestizo communities in the Ucayali region of the Peruvian Amazon. Universiteit Gent.
van Wyk, B., 2005, Food Plants of the World. An illustrated guide. Timber press. p 159
Walter, A. & Lebot, V., 2007, Gardens of Oceania. ACIAR Monograph No. 122. p 185
Walters, T. W., 1989, Historical Overview on Domesticated Plants in China with Special Emphasis on the Cucurbitaceae. Economic Botany 43(3): 297-313
Whitaker,T.W., & Bemis,W.P., 1979, Cucurbits, in Simmonds N.W.,(ed), Crop Plant Evolution. Longmans. London. p 64
Williamson, J., 2005, Useful Plants of Malawi. 3rd. Edition. Mdadzi Book Trust. p 86
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew