Cucumis callosum syn C. trigonus : 19112012 : RV 1

[renee vyas Vyas]

Dear Friends,

Would like to share few pictures of Cucumis callosus syn C. trigonus taken on 15th Nov12........the pulp has dried up, crumbled, collapsed and has collected at the bottom with the seeds clearly seen. I made a small tear in the dried skin of the fruit to get the picture of the seeds. One can see the black prickles still on the dried skin. 

I noticed that during Diwali days till narakchawdes / kaalichawdes, it is sold in the market by vegetable vendors, on inquiring, some people who were buying it, they told me  a very interesting ritual connected with this vegetable during Diwali.....in Maharashtra's Konkan area and specially in Goa, on narakchawdes,  the bitter ‘Kaarit’ (Cucumis trigonus) is crushed by each member of the family, under his/her feet to signify the death of the evil. It also indicates that evil ideas should find place near one’s feet and not in his heart. Same ritual is practiced in many homes in Bombay too during Diwali.

Regards,

Renee

 

[harithasandhya]

Very interesting Renee ji. Thank you for sharing the pictures and the story.
Warm regards,
Sandhya

[Dinesh Valke]

Many thanks Renee ji for this information and the ID.
Regards.
Dinesh

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[Prashant Awale]

Thanks Renee ji for sharing the photographs and info.

Regards

Prashant

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[Aarti S. Khale]

Dear Renee,

Nice pictures and interesting information.

Thanks for sharing.

Aarti

[Vijayasankar]

Renee ji, are you sure of the id Cucumis trigonus?
As the fruits are spinous, I think it should be Cucumis prophetarum. (Ref.: Flora of Pres. Madras; FoC). Pl correct me if I am wrong.
Nice pictures and useful info, though.

 

Regards 

 

Vijayasankar Raman
National Center for Natural Products Research
University of Mississippi

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[Gurcharan Singh]

I think it is the same plant that was uploaded by Dinesh ji and went through the same discussion involving as many as 26 mails. I think the conclusion should apply here also,

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups=#!topic/indiantreepix/joB3x732D0o

Cucumis prophetarum is a very distinct species with strongly echinate fruits, not found here.

Cucumis sativus and C. melo, although with similar looking flowers are easily differentiated on atleast three counts, although both have number varieties/cultivars: in Cucumis sativus the leaves are sharply angular (more or less rounded in C. melo), flowers centre is yellow (pale in C. melo) and very important ovary and young fruits bear tubercles (which may stay in shorter light green dry gardening forms and fall off in dark green longer forms cultivated larger in wetter habitats: these two forms we have in Kashmir former known as Baghi (Garden) kheera and latter Dal kheera (like English cucumber and grown on floating gardens of Dal Lake)). In C. melo on the other hand tubercles ae lacking and ovary and young fruits are covered with hairs which shed off easily. 

    Cucumis trigonous as mentioned in Flora of British India has "ovary hairy sometimes densely white wooly or silky........distinguished from C. melo only by perennial habit"....no doubt in recent treatments it is either merged totally in C. melo or considered as its variety. Obviously our plant is not this.

    The above plant as such is nothing but a form of Cucumis sativus.

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Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089

http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ 
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

    

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[Dinesh Valke]

Many thanks Vijayasankar ji for your response and thank you very much Gurcharan ji for the clarity.
Regards.
Dinesh

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[Vijayasankar]

Thanks Gurcharan ji for correcting me once again.

 

Regards 

 

Vijayasankar Raman
National Center for Natural Products Research
University of Mississippi

[renee vyas Vyas]

Thank you all for the valuable facts shared and subsequent correct ID of the plant.

regards,

Renee

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[JM Garg]

  I think this will be Cucumis sativus var. hardwickii as per images and details herein.  

[Gurcharan Singh]

Yes Garg ji.