Cucumis metuliferus
| Cucumis metuliferus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cucumis metuliferus (common name: horned cucumber)
Propagation: Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse in a rich soil. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Sow 2 or 3 seeds per pot and thin out to the best plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts, giving them cloche or frame protection for at least their first few weeks if you are trying them outdoors.
Cultivation: Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a very warm, sunny sheltered position[1].
A frost-tender plant, the horned cucumber is frequently cultivated for its fruit in tropical and sub-tropical climates, there are some named varieties. It requires a hotter summer than is normally experienced in Britain in order to produce a worthwhile crop and is generally best grown in a greenhouse in this country[2][1].
Range: S. Africa.
Edibility: Fruit - raw[3][4][2]. Insipid according to one report[1], whilst another says that it is rather bitter[5]. Said to have a banana-lime flavour and often sold in speciality stores in Europe and America, the fruit is not considered to be very desirable in its native area and it is only eaten in times of scarcity[6].
Seed - raw[7][8]. Rich in oil with a nutty flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat[K].
Medicinal: The seeds are vermifuge[10]. They are ground into a fine flour, then made into an emulsion with water and eaten. It is then necessary to take a purge in order to expel the tapeworms or other parasites from the body[10].
Usage: Used as a rootstock for C. sativus, conferring disease resistance[6]. Since this species is less cold tolerant than C, sativus, it is probably not suitable as a rootstock in cool temperate areas.
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[11].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ Organ, John. Gourds. Faber, 1963.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.