Cucurbitaceae

Cucurbitaceae is a genus of flowering plants native to tropical and subtropical regions. Cucurbitaceae family members are known as cucurbits. They include melons, like watermelon and cucumbers, and squash, such as pumpkins, gourds, horned melons (cucumbers), and calabash. These plants are grown for their edible fruits, including cucumbers and pumpkins, and the seeds and leaves are used as spices, food, and herbal medicines. The Cucurbitaceae family is known for its vast diversity of ornamental and edible fruits. The Cucurbitaceae family contains more than 100,000 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants.

Vegetative characteristics 

Habit and habitat

• The members of the Cucurbitaceae family are primarily annual or perennial herbs.
• A few can be seen as shrubs or small trees.
• They are usually seen as climbing using tendrils.
• Most of the members of this family are mesophytes, and others are xerophytes.

Root

• They mainly have a tap root system.
• The roots store food and water and appear thick.

Stem

• The stem appears herbaceous, climbing, and branched.

Leaf

• Characteristics of the leaves are: generally simple, lobed, and exstipulate.
• They generally show alternate phyllotaxy.
• Tendrils are present in the axil of the leaf or sometimes opposite to the leaf.
• In a few species, instead of leaves, thorns are present.

Floral Characteristics 

Inflorescence

• A lot of variation is seen in the inflorescence. 
• A racemose or cymose inflorescence is seen.

Flower

• They are usually found to be unisexual and are rarely bisexual.
• They may be white or yellow.
• Regular, incomplete, actinomorphic. 
• Pentamerous

Calyx

• It consists of five sepals.
• All the sepals are fused (gamosepalous).
• The aestivation is imbricate.

Corolla 

• It consists of five petals.
• All the petals are fused (gamopetalous) or free (polypetalous).

Androecium

• Only present in male flowers. Staminodes represent it in female flowers.
• Much variation is seen in the androecium.
• Five stamens with monothecous anthers are present in Thlandiatha.
• Three stamens with twisted anthers are present in Cucurbita.
• All the stamens are united in Sicyos.
• All the stamens are united in a column containing two pollen chambers having a ring-like structure present around the top in Cyclanthera.

Gynoecium

• Only present in female flowers.
• Three syncarpous carpels are present, with a half or a completely inferior ovary.
• The gynoecium is syncarpous and tricarpellary. 

Fruit

• The fruit is called a pepo. It is of the berry type and fleshy from inside.
• The pericarp may be soft or hard.
• The fruit is generally indehiscent.

Seed

• The seeds are exalbuminous and flattened. 
• The seeds are numerous, having straight embryos. 
• The cotyledons are large and oily.

Pollination

• The pollination is mostly bee-pollinated (Entomophilous).

Distribution of Cucurbitaceae

• The Cucurbitaceae family has about 70 genera and over 1000 species, mostly in tropical areas, subtropical areas, and temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere. 
• Most species have high sugar content, and cucurbits are very popular as vegetables in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The first cucurbit (i.e. Cucumis melo) was developed in Africa and was domesticated in Asia.
• The plant family Cucurbitaceae contains only one genus and one species, the cucumber (Cucumis sativus).

Economic importance of Cucurbitaceae

• Many members of the Cucurbitaceae family comprise fruits and vegetables and are edible. Common fruits yielded from the Cucurbitaceae family include Benincasa hispida (White gourd), Citrullus fistulous (Tinda), Citrullus vulgaris (Watermelon), Coccinia Indica/cardifolia (Donda kaya), Cucumis melo (Cucumber), Cucumis melo Momordica (Phut), Cucumis melo utilissimus (Kakri), Cucumis sativus (Cucumber), etc. 
• Some of the plants are of medicinal importance. For example, the plant Citrullus colocynthis produces the alkaloid colocynthin from its fruits. The roots and fruits of this plant are used against snakebite and are also helpful in curing diseases.
• Many plants, such as Ecballium, Sicyos, Cyclanthera, Coccinia, and Schiumare, are grown in gardens and used as ornamental plants. 
• Due to the presence of a hard pericarp, some species are useful in making musical instruments and decorative items.

Significant plants

• Benincasa hispida (White gourd)
• Citrullus vulgaris (Watermelon)
• Cucumis melo (Cucumber)
• Cucumis melo utilissimus (Kakri)
• Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)
• Cucurbita maxima (Red Pumpkin)
• Cucurbita moschata (Pumpkin)
• Cucurbita pepo (Field Pumpkin)

Conclusion

Cucurbitaceae is known as the gourd family of flowering plants. They belong to the order Cucurbitales. The members of the Cucurbitaceae family are mostly annual or perennial herbs and mainly possess a taproot system. The stem is herbaceous and climbing. The leaves are generally simple, lobed, exstipulate, and show alternate phyllotaxy. The inflorescence may be racemose or cymose. The flower is regular, incomplete, and actinomorphic. The calyx is gamosepalous. The corolla is gamopetalous or polypetalous. Androecium shows much variation, and the gynoecium is syncarpous and tricarpellary. The fruit is berry type and fleshy from inside. The seeds are exalbuminous and flattened. The pollination is entomophilous. Many members of the Cucurbitaceae family comprise fruits and vegetables and are edible. Some are used as medicinal plants, while some are used as ornamental plants. Sometimes, they are used in musical instruments.