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. -- 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/ On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 7:31 AM, Vijayasankar <[email protected]>wrote: > 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 > > > > On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 7:40 AM, Aarti S. Khale <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Dear Renee, >> Nice pictures and interesting information. >> Thanks for sharing. >> Aarti >> >> >> On Monday, November 19, 2012 12:05:40 PM UTC+4, Renee wrote: >>> >>> 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 >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >> >> >> >> > > -- > > > > --
