Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a plant species in the Cucurbitaceae family. It is an annual herb that grows by climbing structures, using thin, spiral-shaped tendrils. Its broad leaves form a canopy over the fruit. The fruit is generally cylindrical—reaching up to 10 cm in diameter and up to 62 cm in length—with a tapered end; its flesh is white and juicy.

The fruit can be eaten fresh, skin and all, or prepared in various dishes. The plant's shoots are also consumed as a vegetable. Raw cucumber, including the skin, consists of 95% water, 4% carbohydrates, and 1% protein, and contains virtually no fat. A 100-gram serving provides 65 kilojoules (16 kilocalories) of food energy and 14% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin K.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Tribe: Benincaseae
Genus: Cucumis L. in Sp. Pl.: 1011 (1753)
Species: Cucumis sativus L. in Sp. Pl.: 1012 (1753)

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Tribe: Benincaseae
Genus: Cucumis L. in Sp. Pl.: 1011 (1753)
Species: Cucumis sativus L. in Sp. Pl.: 1012 (1753)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cucumis sativus f. typicus Gabaev in La Turquie Agricole: 556 (1933)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cucumis esculentus Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 157 (1796)
Cucumis hardwickii Royle in Ill. Bot. Himal. Mts.: 220 (1835)
Cucumis muricatus Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 4: 613 (1805)
Cucumis rumphii Hassk. in Abh. Naturf. Ges. Halle 9: 280 (1866)
Cucumis sativus subsp. agrestis Gabaev in Cucumbers: 35 (1932)
Cucumis sativus f. albus (Ser.) Pangalo in La Turquie Agricole: 557, 882 (1933)
Cucumis sativus f. albus M.Hiroe in Pl. Basho Buson Hokku Lit. 8(3): 191 (1973)
Cucumis sativus var. albus Ser. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 3: 300 (1828)
Cucumis sativus var. anatolicus Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 452 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. anglicus L.H.Bailey in Stand. Cycl. Hort. 2: 908 (1914)
Cucumis sativus f. australis Kitam. in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 14: 44 (1950)
Cucumis sativus var. battich-djebbal Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 169 (1775)
Cucumis sativus f. borealis Kitam. in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 14: 44 (1950)
Cucumis sativus var. brullos Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 169 (1775)
Cucumis sativus f. brunnescens Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 455, 456 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. chatte Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 169 (1775)
Cucumis sativus var. chiar Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 169 (1775)
Cucumis sativus var. cilicicus Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 452, 465 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. curtus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 196 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. donii Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. ennemis Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 169 (1775)
Cucumis sativus var. europaeus Gabaev in Cucumbers: 35, 39, 62 (1932)
Cucumis sativus convar. excellens Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 196 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. fakus Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 169 (1775)
Cucumis sativus var. falcatus Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 451, 454 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. fastigiatus Ser. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 3: 300 (1828)
Cucumis sativus var. flavus Ser. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 3: 300 (1828)
Cucumis sativus var. flexuosus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus subsp. gracilior Gabaev in Cucumbers: 36 (1932)
Cucumis sativus var. grossularioides Tkatsch. in Trudy Prikl. Bot., Ser. 2, Genet. Rast. 9: 328 (1935)
Cucumis sativus f. hardwickii (Royle) W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes in Sandakania 17: 58 (2008)
Cucumis sativus subsp. hardwickii (Royle) Banfi & Galasso in Ital. Botanist 9: 66 (2020)
Cucumis sativus var. hardwickii (Royle) Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 196 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. hollandicus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. indoeuropeus Gabaev in Cucumbers: 35, 43, 57 (1932)
Cucumis sativus var. iranoturanicus Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 452, 461 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. izmir Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 452, 463 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus f. pallescens Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 456, 455 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. pallidus Gabaev in La Turquie Agricole: 552 (1933)
Cucumis sativus convar. pallidus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. praecox Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus subsp. rigidus Gabaev in Cucumbers: 35 (1932)
Cucumis sativus var. rossicus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. schemmam Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 169 (1775)
Cucumis sativus var. serotinus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. setosus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. sikkimensis Hook.f. in Bot. Mag. 102: t. 6206 (1876)
Cucumis sativus var. squamosus Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 451, 459 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. testudaceus Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 451, 459 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. tuberculatus Gabaev in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 451, 456 (1929-1930 publ. 1930)
Cucumis sativus var. turcicus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 197 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. variegatus Ser. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 3: 300 (1828)
Cucumis sativus var. viridis Ser. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 3: 300 (1828)
Cucumis sativus f. viridis (Ser.) Gabaev in La Turquie Agricole: 556, 558, 882 (1933)
Cucumis sativus convar. viridis (Ser.) Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 196 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. vulgatus Alef. in Landw. Fl.: 196 (1866)
Cucumis sativus var. xishuangbannanensis J.Qi & Z.Yuan ex S.S.Renner in PhytoKeys 85: 89 (2017)
Cucumis sphaerocarpus Gabaev in Cucumbers: 28 (1932)
Cucumis vilmorinii Spreng. in Bull. Soc. Tosc. Ortic. 19: 115 (1894)

PUBLICATIONS

Abdulina, S.A. (1999). Spisok Sosudistykn Rastenii Kazakhstana: 1-187. Academy of Sciences, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

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De Wilde, W.J.J.O. & Duyfjes, B.E.E. (2008). The edible Cucurbitaceae of Thailand and Malesia and the wild forms of the cultivated ones. Sandakania 17: 43-91.

Figueiredo, E., Paiva, J., Stévart, T., Oliveira, F. & Smith, G.F. (2011). Annotated catalogue of the flowering plants of São Tomé and Príncipe. Bothalia, A Journal of Botanical Research 41: 41-82.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2015). Flora of North America North of Mexico 6: 1-468. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Florence, J., Waldren, S. & Chepstow-Lusty, A.J. (1995). The flora of the Pitcairn islands: a review. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 56: 79-119.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Ghazanfar, S.A. (1992). An Annotated Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Oman and their Vernacular names. Scripta Botanica Belgica 2: 1-153.

Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.

Grierson, A.J.C. & Long, D.G. (2001). Flora of Bhutan 2: 1-1675. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera & C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2010). Manual de plantas de Costa Rica volumen V. Dicotiledóneas (Clusiaceae-Gunneraceae). Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 119: 1-970. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Hassler, M. & Muer, T. (2022). Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild 1: 1-864. Verlag Regionalkultur, Uberstadt-Weiher.

Hohla, M. (2011). Zwei Funde der Kleine Seerose (Nymphaea candida) sowie weitere Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Flora von Oberösterreich. Stapfia 95: 141-161.

Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Jones, R.L. (2005). Plant life of Kentucky. An illustrated guide to the vascular flora: 1-833. The universitry press of Kentucky.

Jonsell, B. & Karlsson, T. (eds.) (2010). Flora Nordica 6: 1-298. The Bergius Foundaton.

Jørgensen, P.M. & León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999). Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75: i-viii, 1-1181. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Jørgensen, P.M., Nee, M.H. & Beck., S.G. (eds.) (2013). Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 127: 1-1741. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Keraudren-Aymonin, M. (1975). Flore d'Afrique Centrale (Zaïre-Rwanda-Burundi), Cucurbitaceae: 1-152. Jardin Botanique National de Belgique.

Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.

Kral, R., Diamond, A.R., Ginzbarg, S.L., Hansen, C.J., Haynes, R.R., Keener, B.R., Lelong, M.G., Spaulding, D.D. & Woods, M. (2011). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Alabama: 1-112. Botanical reseach institute of Texas.

Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.

Lê, T.C. (2003). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 2: 1-1203. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

MacKee, H.S. (1994). Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie, ed. 2: 1-164. Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris.

Mao, A.A. & Dash, S.S. (2020). Flowering Plants of India an Annotated Checklist (Dicotyledons) 1: 1-970. Botanical Survey of India.

Meena, S.L. (2012). A checklist of the vascular plants of Banaskantha district, Gujarat, India. Nelumbo 54: 39-91.

Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.

Mosti, S., Raffaelli, M. & Tardelli, M. (2012). Contributions to the flora of central-southern Dhofar (Sultanate of Oman). Webbia; Raccolta de Scritti Botanici 67: 65-91.

Nazimuddin, S. & Naqvi, S.S.H. (1984). Flora of Pakistan 154: 1-56. Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi.

Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Ovchinnikov, P.N. (ed.) (1988). Flora Tadzhikskoi SSR 9: 1-568. Izd-vo Akademii nauk SSSR, Moskva.

Renner, S.S. & Pandey, A.K. (2013). The Cucurbitaceae of India: Accepted names, synonyms, geographic distribution, and information on images and DNA sequences. PhytoKeys 20: 53-118.

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VERNACULAR NAME

Arabic: خيار
Bislama: Kukamba
Bunun: Kut-ahun, Tangkuikut-ahun
Burmese: သခွား Thakhwa
Catalan: Cogombre
Chinese (simplified): 胡瓜 - 黄瓜
Chinese (traditional): 青瓜 - 黃瓜
Czech: Okurka setá
Danish: Almindelig agurk, Asieagurk
Dinka: Akuɔl
Dutch: Augurk, Komkommer
English: Cucumber, Cowcumber, Gherkin
Filipino: Pipino, Kalabaga, Kasimum
Finnish: Vihanneskurkku
French: Concombre, Cornichon
Gawri (Kalam Kohistani): باد رنگ
German: Gurke
Guangdong: 青瓜 - 黃瓜
Hawaiian: Ka'ukama
Hebrew: מלפפון תרבותי
Hindi: एलारू - खीरा Elaroo, Khira
Hong Kong: 青瓜 - 黃瓜
Hungarian: Uborka
Indonesia: Mentimun, Ketimun
Italian: Cetriolo
Japanese: キュウリ
Java: Timun
Kannada: Soutekayi
Kashmiri: ﻟﹷﻴﺮ Laer
Kazakh: Қияр
Khmer: ត្រសក់ Trâsâk
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: بادرنګ
Korean: 오이
Lao: ແຕ່ງ Tèèng
Lithuanian: Paprastasis agurkas
Macao: 青瓜 - 黃瓜
Maharashtra: मावळी काकडी
Malayalam: Andanga, Peerappattikka, Peerapotti, Vellari
Malaysia: Timun, Mentimun
Manipuri: Thabi
Marathi: Kakdi
Mizo: Fanghma
Norwegian: Agurk
Oriya: Kakudi
Palauan: Kiuri
Pashto: بادرنګ
PNG: Kukamba, Kuikamba
Polish: Ogórek siewny
Portuguese: Pepino
Russian: Огурец - Огурец обыкновенный
Sanskrit: Trapushpa, Kantakilata
Sinhala: පිපිඤ්ඤා
Slovak: Uhorka siata
Spanish: Pepino cohombro
Sri Lanka: පිපිඤ්ඤා
Sunda: Bonteng
Swat District: باد رنگ
Swedish: Gurka
Tagalog: Pipino
Taiwan: 青瓜 - 黃瓜
Tamil: வெள்ளரிக்காய் Vellarikkay
Tangkhul: Karopthei
Telugu: Dosakaya
Thai: แตงกวา
Turkish: Hıyar, Salatalık
Ukrainian: Огірок звичайний

Aryo Bandoro
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