Recent upload of Convolvulaceae members initiated by Balkar ji threw up some interesting plants, and also provided opportunity for reconfirming identity of various species. As proposed we may share plants of a particular genus once or twice in a month, most probably during weekend Friday-Saturday. It is proposed to exchange photographs of cucurbits on October 8 and 9, with focus on species not represented in our databases Flowersofindia and efloraofindia. While looking for literature on Cucumis some interesting taxa came to light. Nepal Cucumber or Sikkim cucumber, C. sativus var. sikkimensis grows in NE India and sold in markets there. Perhaps some member can upload photographs of fruits (plus possibly flowering twig).
http://www.amishlandseeds.com/images/hmong-red-cuc10.jpg <http://www.amishlandseeds.com/images/hmong-red-cuc10.jpg>C. sativus var. sativus is the common cultivated cucumber with lots of cultivars. Some of these could be uploaded Perhaps the most interesting is C. sativus var. hardwickii, the original wild form of NW India from which all cultivated forms are supposed to have originated. Perhaps any member may be able to locate and upload it. I am not sure, but in Kashmir we used to differentiate two types of cucumber (besides Tar): longer smooth fruited with dark green skin mostly grown on floating gardens in Dal Lake and small fruited slightly prickly (when young) form grown ib kitchen gardens. This, however, was not bitter, as var. hardwickii is supposed to be. var. hardwickii is supposed to have smaller bitter tubercled fruits. It would also be interesting to get and resolve cucumber sold in Pachmari (M. P.) markets, which we saw when we visited the area in 1976 for excursion trip. This cucumber is much larger in size, reminding somewhat of melon, the pulp also yellowish inside (if I remember correctly). Perhaps Nayan ji or any other colleague from the area may be able to help. There are also other species like C. prophetarum (Kharchvit or Kharindryon), C. melo agrestris (syn: C. trigonis; C. callosus; Kachri), C. melo flexuosus (Kakri, Tar), C. melo momordica (C. momordica; Phut, C. melo melo (melon). Let us prepare for the excitement on October 8 and 9. -- 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://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
