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Cucurbitaceae (pumpkin and melon family) Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants)
> Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Rosids > Eurosid I
> Order: Cucurbitales
There are about 120 genera and 735 species of
Cucurbitaceae worldwide, with 18 genera and 76 species native to southern
Africa. Some well known vegetables fall in this family such as Watermelon,
Hubbard Squash, Butternut,
Pumpkin, sweet
melons and Cucumber.
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Gem Squash, one of the varieties of
vegetables derived from Cucurbita pepo. |
Genera native or naturalised (*) in southern Africa
List from Welman (2000)
Acanthosicyos
(nara genus) The 2
species have an African distribution and both occur in southern Africa. |
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Citrullus
Four species,
native to from Africa through to Asia with 3 species in southern Africa.
Watermelon is a domesticated form of Citrullus
lanatus which has a wide distribution from Asia through to Africa
where it is found in the Kalahari and called Tsamma. |
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Coccinia
About 30 species,
29 of which are only found in Africa, and one with a wider distribution in
the Old World. Seven species are indigenous to southern Africa. |
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Corallocarpus
About 15
species, native to the Old World tropics but mainly in Africa. There are 7
species indigenous to southern Africa. |
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Ctenolepis
The 2 species
occur in the Old World tropics, with one of them, Ctenolepis
cerasiformis, having a distribution extending into southern Africa
(northern Botswana and Mpumalanga). |
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Cucumella
The 11 species
are mainly found in Africa, but the genus also occurs in Asia. There are 4
species native to southern Africa. |
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Cucumis
The 32 species are
mainly found in Africa but also in Asia and Australia. There are 14
species native to southern Africa. This genus includes muskmelons, wintermelons, spaanspek (all domesticated forms of Cucumis melo),
cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and
gherkins (Cucumis anguria -
although almost all so-called gherkins sold in shops are in fact baby
cucumbers). |
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Cyclantheropsis
Two of the
3 species are found in Africa and 1 in Madagascar. The only species found
in southern Africa is Cyclantheropsis parviflora. |
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Dactyliandra
Two species,
native to Africa and India, with 1 species, Dactyliandra
welwitschii, in southern Africa (Namibia). |
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Gerrardanthus
Five
species, native to Africa, with 2 species in southern Africa. |
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Kedrostis
About 25
species, native to the Old World tropics, with 9 species in southern
Africa. |
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Lagenaria
About 6 species,
mainly in tropical Africa, with 2 species native to southern Africa. |
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Momordica
About 40
species, native to the Old World with most of the species in the African
tropics. There are 9 species native to southern Africa. |
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Mukia
The 4 species are
found in the tropics of the Old World with one of them, Mukia
maderaspatana, occurring in southern Africa. |
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Oreosyce
One species, Oreosyce
africana, native to Africa and Madagascar, its distribution extending
into southern Africa. |
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Peponium
About 20
species, native to Africa, Madagascar, Aldabra and Seychelles, with 4
species indigenous to southern Africa. |
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Trochomeria
The 8 species
are native to Africa, with 4 species native to southern Africa. |
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Zehneria
About 30 species,
native from Africa to the East Indies and Australia, with 3 species in
southern Africa. |
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Domesticated species
Publications
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Jeffrey, C. 1967. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Cucurbitaceae:
1-156.
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Jeffrey, C. 1975. Further notes on
Cucurbitaceae 3. Kew Bulletin 30: 485-491.
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Jeffrey, C. 1978. Cucurbitaceae. Flora
Zambesiaca 4: 414-499.
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Launert, E. & Roessler, H. 1968.
Cucurbitaceae. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 94: 1-22.
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Meeuse, A.D.J. 1962. The Cucurbitaceae of
southern Africa. Bothalia 8: 1-111.
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Welman, W.G. 2000. Cucurbitaceae. In: Seed Plants of
Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 237-241.
National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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