2024 Edition • Get the App
X

Colors

Data mode

Account

Login
Sign up

Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Key to Cucurbitaceae

Copy permalink to share

1 Ovaries and fruits muricate, tuberculate, or echinate; fruits 1-25 cm long at maturity.
  2 Plants prostrate; tendrils absent; leaves with whitish-crisped margins; [section Bryoniae]
  2 Plants climbing; tendrils present; leaves with green margins
    3 Corolla 5-lobed, yellow, the petals 7-25 mm long; fruit muricate or tuberculate, 10-25-seeded, dehiscent by 3 valves or somewhat irregularly; tendrils with 1-2 branches; [tribe Joliffieae]
    3 Corolla 5-6-lobed, white, the petals 0.5-6 mm long; fruit echinate, 1- or 4-seeded, indehiscent or dehiscent by 2 pores; tendrils with 3 branches; [tribe Sicyeae].
      4 Corolla 6-lobed; fruit 4-seeded, dehiscent by 2 pores; stems and leaves glabrous or glabrescent
      4 Corolla 5-lobed; fruit 1-seeded, indehiscent; stem and leaves conspicuously viscid-pubescent
1 Ovaries and fruits smooth or pubescent, but not prickly; fruits 1-70 cm long at maturity.
        5 Leaves pinnately lobed, the divisions rounded; fruit surface green and white, the flesh red or pink; [tribe Benincaseae]
        5 Leaves palmately lobed, the divisions angular and toothed; fruit surface red, green, white, black, orange, yellow, or blue, the flesh white, orange, yellow, tan, or green.
          6 Fruit < 3 cm long; tendrils present, simple; [native, mostly in moist forests or thickets].
             7 Fruit surface red at maturity; pedicel of pistillate flowers and fruits 1-3 mm long; [tribe Cucurbiteae]
             7 Fruit surface black or dark green at maturity; pedicel of pistillate flowers and fruits > 20 mm long; [tribe Benincaseae]
          6 Fruit > 5 cm long; tendrils absent or present (if present, forked); [introduced, mostly in gardens, fields, or disturbed places].
               8 Corolla white; [bottle gourd, ivy gourd]; [tribe Benincaseae].
                 9 Corolla campanulate; fruit scarlet at maturity; [ivy gourd]
                 9 Corolla salverform; fruit not scarlet at maturity; [bottle gourd]
               8 Corolla yellow; [cantaloupe, cucumber, luffa, squash, gourd, pumpkin].
                   10 Corolla < 3 cm long; [cantaloupe, cucumber]; [tribe Benincaseae]
                   10 Corolla > 5 cm long; [luffa, squash, gourd, pumpkin].
                     11 Corolla campanulate; fruit indehiscent, the interior fleshy; [squash, gourd, pumpkin]; [tribe Cucurbiteae]
                     11 Corolla salverform; fruit dehiscent, the interior very fibrous; [luffa]; [tribe Luffeae]
Cite as...