Cucumis Sativus L.

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Cucumis Sativus L.

• Nick Lorenz
• May 1, 2006

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Phylogeny
Genus Cucumis L. Gourd Family Cucurbitaceae Related to Squash, Melons, Pumpkins







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Interesting Facts

• Cucumbers originated in India where they have
  been cultivated for 3000 years.
• Introduced to the New World by Columbus.
• Pollinated by bees
• Cucumbers contain 5 calories per ounce and only
  very small amounts of nutrients
• Three different flower types --- staminate
  (male), pistilate (female) and hermaphrodite
  (both male and female).

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Flowers

• Male Staminate ---gt
• Female Pistilate
• (below and right)

Pollen
Ovary
Sepal
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Fruit Anatomy
Ovule
Placenta

• Parietal
• Pepo
• Inferior Ovary
• Hard to distinguish endocarp

Ovules r.s.
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Leaf Morphology

• Dicot
• Bifacial
• Palmate (major) and Reticulate (minor) venation

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Dicot Venation
Major Vein
Minor Vein
Major Vein
Leaf Venation
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Petiole and Leaf Gap
Vascular Bundles missing
Leaf Gap
Leaf Trace
Petiole x.s.
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Stomata
Anomocytic
Paracytic
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Trichome City
Long Multicellular Uniseriate- Stem
Glandular Capitate -Leaf
Stinging -Leaf
Short Multicellular Uniseriate- Stem
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Stem Vascular Morphology

• Open
• Bicollateral
• Amphicribral
• Sclerification

Secondary Growth of Vascular Bundles (x.s.
4x with Toluidine Blue)
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Stem Vascular
Secondary Phloem
Vascular Cambium
Metaxylem
Primary Phloem
Protoxylem
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Epidermis and Tissues
Epidermis
Reticulate Metaxylem
Helical protoxylem not shown
Sieve Elements with callose
Large Parenchyma
Angular Collenchyma
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Root System

• Fiberous Roots
• Triarch

Xylem
Epidermis
Endodermis
Rhizodermis
Lateral Root
Phloem
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Root
Vascular Cambium
Cortex
Later Secondary Growth
Secondary Growth with Phelloderm
Exarch Development
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Phellogen in Stem

• Multiple Phellem layers
• Suberin
• Tissues outside phellem our lost

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Thank you