Cucumis prophetarum

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Cucumis prophetarum
Leaves of Cucumis prophetarum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Cucumis
Species:
C. prophetarum
Binomial name
Cucumis prophetarum
L.
(1759)
Subspecies
  • Cucumis prophetarum subsp. dissectus (Naud.) Jeffrey
  • Cucumis prophetarum subsp. prophetarum
Synonyms

Cucumis prophetarum is a

specific epithet
(prophetarum) comes from Latin propheta, meaning "prophet".

Distribution

Cucumis prophetarum is native to Africa and the Middle East, from Mauritania east to the Horn of Africa and southwest to Angola then southeast to South Africa, as well as Israel south to Yemen and Oman and east to northwestern India. It has been introduced to Qatar.[2] It grows wild in semi-desert bushland and grassland up to 6,594 feet (2,010 meters) in elevation, often with acacia trees.[3]

Description

Flower of Cucumis prophetarum
Fruit of Cucumis prophetarum

Its

petals measuring 5–8 millimeters in length and 2.5–3.5 millimeters in width. The fruit is slightly ovoid and is vertically striped and yellow in color when ripe. It measures 3–4 centimeters in length and is covered in spike-like pustules.[4]

Uses

The fruit has a bitter flavor when raw and is sometimes boiled or pickled and the leaves are cooked and served with a staple.[3] The fruit is eaten across its native range and occasionally cultivated and sold in local markets.[3]

The fruit is also used in

folk medicine in Saudi Arabia to treat liver disorders and an extract from it has been proven to contain cytotoxicity against six cancer cell lines.[5] Another extract from the fruit induces an anti-diabetic effect.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "cucumis – Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org.
  2. ^ "Cucumis prophetarum L." www.gbif.org.
  3. ^ a b c "Cucumis prophetarum – Useful Tropical Plants". tropical.theferns.info.
  4. ^ "Cucumis prophetarum – Wild Gourd". www.flowersofindia.net.
  5. PMID 30301463
    .
  6. PMID 24462215
    . Retrieved 20 January 2021.
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