Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext ) | '{{About|the fruit}}
{{Distinguish|Armenian cucumber}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Cucumber
| image = ARS_cucumber.jpg
| image_caption = Cucumbers grow on vines
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| unranked_divisio = [[Angiosperms]]
| unranked_classis = [[Eudicots]]
| unranked_ordo = [[Rosids]]
| ordo = [[Cucurbitales]]
| familia = [[Cucurbitaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Cucumis]]''
| species = '''''C. sativus'''''
| binomial = ''Cucumis sativus''
| binomial_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
'''Cucumber''' (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely cultivated plant in the [[gourd]] family [[Cucurbitaceae]]. It is a creeping vine that bears [[Cylinder (geometry)|cylindrical]] fruits that are used as culinary vegetables. There are three main varieties of cucumber: ''slicing'', ''[[Pickled cucumber|pickling]]'', and ''burpless''. Within these varieties, several different [[cultivar]]s have emerged. The cucumber is originally from [[Southern Asia]], but now grows on most [[continent]]s. Many different varieties are traded on the global market.
== Description ==
{{nutritional value | name=Cucumber, with peel, raw
| water=95.23
| kJ=65
| protein=0.65 g
| fat=0.11 g
| carbs=3.63 g
| fiber=0.5 g
| sugars=1.67
| calcium_mg=16
| iron_mg=0.28
| magnesium_mg=13
| phosphorus_mg=24
| potassium_mg=147
| sodium_mg=2
| zinc_mg=0.2
| manganese_mg=0.079
| opt1n=[[Fluoride]]
| opt1v=1.3 µg
| vitC_mg=2.8
| thiamin_mg=0.027
| riboflavin_mg=0.033
| niacin_mg=0.098
| pantothenic_mg=0.259
| vitB6_mg=0.04
| folate_ug=7
| vitK_ug=16.4
| source_usda = 1
| note=[http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list?qlookup=11205&format=Full Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
The cucumber is a creeping vine that roots in the ground and grows up [[Trellis (agriculture)|trellises]] or other supporting frames, wrapping around supports with thin, spiraling tendrils. The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The fruit of the cucumber is roughly [[cylinder (geometry)|cylindrical]], elongated with tapered ends, and may be as large as {{convert|60|cm|in|sp=us}} long and {{convert|10|cm|in|sp=us}} in diameter. Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower, botanically speaking, cucumbers are classified as [[accessory fruit]]s. Much like tomatoes and squash they are often also perceived, prepared and eaten as [[vegetable]]s. Cucumbers are usually more than 90% water.
=== Flowering and pollination ===
A few [[cultivar]]s of cucumber are [[parthenocarpic]], the blossoms creating seedless fruit without [[pollination]]. Pollination for these cultivars degrades the quality. In the United States, these are usually grown in [[greenhouse]]s, where bees are excluded. In Europe, they are grown outdoors in some regions, and bees are excluded from these areas.
Most cucumber cultivars, however, are seeded and require pollination. Thousands of hives of [[honey bee]]s are annually carried to cucumber fields just before bloom for this purpose. Cucumbers may also be pollinated by [[bumblebee]]s and several other bee species. Most cucumbers that require pollination are [[Self-incompatibility in plants|self-incompatible]], so pollen from a different plant is required to form seeds and fruit.<ref name=Nonnecke>{{cite book |author=Nonnecke, I.L. |year=1989 |title=Vegetable Production |publisher=Springer |isbn=9780442267216 |url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=H7i8QJw8BJsC }}</ref> Some self-compatible cultivars exist that are related to the 'Lemon' cultivar.<ref name=Nonnecke/> Symptoms of inadequate pollination include fruit abortion and misshapen fruit. Partially pollinated flowers may develop fruit that are green and develop normally near the stem end, but are pale yellow and withered at the blossom end.
Traditional cultivars produce male blossoms first, then female, in about equivalent numbers. Newer [[gynoecious]] hybrid [[cultivar]]s produce almost all female blossoms. They may have a [[pollenizer]] cultivar interplanted, and the number of beehives per unit area is increased, but temperature changes induce male flowers even on these plants, which may be sufficient for pollination to occur.<ref name=Nonnecke/>
[[Insecticide]] applications for insect pests must be done very carefully to avoid killing off the insect [[pollinator]]s.
[[File:Cucumber and cross section.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Cucumber, whole and in longitudinal section]]{{clear left}}
=== Genome ===
{{Infobox genome
| image = <!-- Karyotype, for instance -->
| caption =
| taxId = 1639
| ploidy = diploid
| chromosomes = <!-- number of pairs -->
| size = 323.99 Mb
| year =
| organelle = mitochondrion
| organelle-size = 244.82 Mb
| organelle-year = 2011
}}
In 2009, an international team of researchers announced they had sequenced the cucumber genome.<ref>{{cite doi|10.1038/ng.475}}</ref>
== Production ==
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
! colspan=2|Top ten cucumber producers in 2010
|-
! Country
! Production ([[tonne]]s)
|-
| {{flag|China}}||align=right|40,709,556
|-
| {{flag|Iran}}||align=right|1,811,630
|-
| {{flag|Turkey}}||align=right|1,739,190
|-
| {{flag|Russia}}||align=right|1,161,870
|-
| {{flag|United States}}||align=right|883,360
|-
| {{flag|Ukraine}}||align=right|860,100
|-
| {{flag|Spain}}||align=right|682,900
|-
| {{flag|Egypt}}||align=right|631,408
|-
| {{flag|Japan}}||align=right|587,800
|-
| {{flag|Indonesia}}||align=right|547,141
|- style="background:#ccc;"
| {{noflag}}'''World'''||align=right| '''57,559,836'''
|-
|colspan=5 style="font-size:.7em"|''Source: [[UN Food & Agriculture Organisation]] (FAO)''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567#ancor |title=Major Food And Agricultural Commodities And Producers – Countries By Commodity |publisher=Fao.org |date= |accessdate=2012-05-12}}</ref>
|}
According to the [[Food and Agriculture Organization|Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]], China produced at least 60% of the global output of cucumbers in 2005, followed at a distance by Turkey, Russia, Iran and the United States.
== Cultivation ==
=== History ===
The cucumber originated in India, where a great many varieties have been observed,<ref name="Doijode">Doijode, S. D. (2001). ''Seed storage of horticultural crops''. Haworth Press. ISBN 1-56022-901-2 p. 281</ref><ref name="Renner 2007">{{cite journal|pmid=17425784|title=Phylogenetics of ''Cucumis'' (Cucurbitaceae): Cucumber (''C. sativus'') belongs in an Asian/Australian clade far from melon (''C. melo'')|year=2007|last1=Renner|first1=SS|last2=Schaefer|first2=H|last3=Kocyan|first3=A|volume=7|page=58|doi=10.1186/1471-2148-7-58|pmc=3225884|journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology}}
</ref><ref>[http://newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/170033 Cucumis hystrix]. Newstrackindia.com (2010-07-21). Retrieved on 2012-11-25.</ref> from ''[[Cucumis hystrix]]''.<ref name="Doijode"/><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/145850/cucumber cucumber], Encyclopaedia Britannica on-line.</ref> It has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, and was probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Greeks or Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear in [[France]] in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.
==== Earliest cultivation ====
[[File:An Indian yellow cucumber.jpg|thumb|left|An Indian yellow cucumber]]
The cucumber is listed among the foods of ancient [[Ur]], and the legend of [[Gilgamesh]] describes people eating cucumbers. Some sources{{who|date=September 2012}} also state it was produced in ancient [[Thrace]], and it is certainly part of modern cuisine in [[Bulgaria]] and [[Turkey]], parts of which make up that ancient state. Cucumbers are mentioned in the Bible as one of the foods eaten by the Israelites in Egypt.<ref>Numbers 11:5</ref> From India, it spread to [[Greece]] (where it was called "σίκυον", ''síkyon'') and [[Italy]] (where the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] were especially fond of the crop), and later into [[China]].
Robert Daniel, in discussing an ostracon dated to the second half of the third century AD, has suggested identifying an otherwise unknown word, ολγιττα, with the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''al-qitta''', the common word for cucumber.<ref>Although the ostracon was written in Greek, Daniel implies that the writer used the Arabic word instead of the Greek because the recipient, who has a Semitic name Salamanes, was a native Arabic speaker. Robert W. Daniel, [http://www.jstor.org/stable/20190675 "From Work on the Petra Papyri: Arabic on a Greek Ostracon from Roman Egypt and the Name of the Church Father Sozomen"], ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', '''131''' (2000), pp. 173-176</ref>
According to [[Pliny the Elder]] (''[[Natural History (Pliny)|The Natural History]]'', Book XIX, Chapter 23), the Ancient Greeks grew cucumbers, and there were different varieties in Italy, Africa, and [[Moesia]].
==== Roman Empire ====
According to Pliny, the Emperor [[Tiberius]] had the cucumber on his table daily during summer and winter. The Romans reportedly used artificial methods (similar to the greenhouse system) of growing to have it available for his table every day of the year. "Indeed, he was never without it; for he had raised beds made in frames upon wheels, by means of which the cucumbers were moved and exposed to the full heat of the sun; while, in winter, they were withdrawn, and placed under the protection of frames glazed with mirrorstone."<ref>Pliny, ''N.H.'', 19, 23</ref>
Reportedly, they were also cultivated in cucumber houses glazed with oiled cloth known as “[[Greenhouse|specularia]]”.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
Pliny the Elder describes the Italian fruit as very small, probably like a [[gherkin]], describing it as a wild cucumber considerably smaller than the cultivated one. Pliny also describes the preparation of a medication known as ''elaterium'', though some scholars{{who|date=February 2013}} believe he was referring to ''[[Ecballium elaterium]]'', known in pre-[[Linnean nomenclature|Linne]]an times as "Cucumis silvestris" or "Cucumis asininus" ("wild cucumber" or "donkey cucumber"), a species different from the common cucumber.<ref>Pliny, ''N.H.'', 20.3</ref> Pliny also writes about several other varieties of cucumber, including the cultivated cucumber,<ref>Pliny, ''N.H., 20.4-5</ref> and remedies from the different types (9 from the cultivated, 5 from the "anguine", and 26 from the "wild"). The Romans are reported to have used cucumbers to treat scorpion bites, bad eyesight, and to scare away mice. Wives wishing for children wore them around their waists. They were also carried by [[Midwifery|midwives]], and thrown away when the child was born.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
==== Middle Ages ====
[[Charlemagne]] had cucumbers grown in his gardens in the 8th/9th century. They were reportedly introduced into England in the early 14th century, lost, then reintroduced approximately 250 years later.
The [[Spaniards]] (through the [[Italian people|Italian]] [[Christopher Columbus]]) brought cucumbers to [[Haiti]] in 1494. In 1535, [[Jacques Cartier]], a French explorer, found “very great cucumbers” grown on the site of what is now [[Montreal]].
==== Post-enlightenment ====
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2008}}
Throughout the 16th century, European trappers, traders, [[bison]] hunters, and explorers bartered for the products of American Indian [[agriculture]]. The tribes of the [[Great Plains]] and the [[Rocky Mountains]] learned from the Spanish how to grow European crops. The farmers on the Great Plains included the [[Mandan]] and [[Abenaki]]. They obtained cucumbers and [[watermelon]]s from the Spanish, and added them to the crops they were already growing, including several varieties of [[Maize|corn]] and [[bean]]s, [[pumpkin]]s, [[Squash (fruit)|squash]], and [[gourd]] plants.<ref>{{cite book|title=Taste, Memory: Forgotten Foods, Lost Flavors, and why They Matter|pages=109|last=Buchanan|first=David|publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing|location=VT, USA|isbn=9781603584401|year=2012}}</ref> The [[Iroquois]] were also growing them when the first Europeans visited them.<ref>{{cite book|title=Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, Botany and Use|pages=159|last=Kuhnlein|first=H. V.|last=Turner|first=N. J.|publisher=Gordon and Breach|location=Amsterdam, Netherlands|year=1996|isbn=9782881244650}}</ref>
In 1630, the Reverend [[Francis Higginson]] produced a book called ''New England’s Plantation'' in which, describing a garden on Conant’s Island in [[Boston Harbor]] known as ''The Governor’s Garden'', he states: “The countrie aboundeth naturally with store of roots of great varietie and good to eat. Our turnips, parsnips, and carrots are here both bigger and sweeter than is ordinary to be found in England. Here are store of pompions, cowcumbers, and other things of that nature which I know not...”
William Wood also published in 1633’s New England Prospect (published in England) observations he made in 1629 in America: “The ground affords very good kitchin gardens, for Turneps, Parsnips, Carrots, Radishes, and Pompions, Muskmillons, Isquoter-squashes, coucumbars, Onyons, and whatever grows well in England grows as well there, many things being better and larger.”
In the later 17th century, a prejudice developed against uncooked vegetables and fruits. A number of articles in contemporary health publications stated that uncooked plants brought on summer diseases and should be forbidden to children. The cucumber kept this vile reputation for an inordinate period of time: “fit only for consumption by cows,” which some believe is why it gained the name, ''cowcumber''.
A copper etching made by Maddalena Bouchard between 1772 and 1793 shows this plant to have smaller, almost bean-shaped fruits, and small yellow flowers. The small form of the cucumber is figured in Herbals of the 16th century, but states, "If hung in a tube while in blossom, the Cucumber will grow to a most surprising length."
[[Samuel Pepys]] wrote in his diary on August 22, 1663:<ref>[http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1663/08/22/ Saturday 22 August 1663 (Pepys' Diary)]. Pepysdiary.com. Retrieved on 2012-11-25.</ref> “this day Sir W. Batten tells me that Mr. Newburne is dead of eating cowcumbers, of which the other day I heard of another, I think.” In "The Greenstone Door", William Satchell notes that "Te Moanaroa was dead – of a surfeit of cucumbers...", having eaten four of the "prickly" melons. (Chapter XX, The Storm Cloud).
== Varieties ==
{{See also|List of cucumber varieties}}
In human cultivation, the varieties of cucumbers are classified into three main varieties: "slicing", "pickling", and "burpless".
=== Slicing ===
[[File:Kurkkuja.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Slicing cucumbers]]
Cucumbers grown to eat fresh are called slicing cucumbers. They are mainly eaten in the unripe green form, since the ripe yellow form normally becomes bitter and sour. Slicers grown commercially for the North American market are generally longer, smoother, more uniform in color, and have a much tougher skin. Slicers in other countries are smaller and have a thinner, more delicate skin. Smaller slicing cucumbers can also be pickled.
=== Pickling ===
[[Image:PicklingCucumbers.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Pickling cucumbers]]
{{Main|Pickled cucumber}}
Cucumbers can be [[Pickled cucumber|pickled]] for flavor and longer [[shelf-life]]. Although any cucumber can be pickled, commercial pickles are made from cucumbers specially bred for uniformity of length-to-diameter ratio and lack of voids in the flesh. Those cucumbers intended for [[pickling]], called picklers, grow to about {{convert|7|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} to {{convert|10|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} long and {{convert|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} wide. Compared to slicers, picklers tend to be shorter, thicker, less regularly shaped, and have bumpy skin with tiny white or black-dotted spines. They are never waxed. Color can vary from creamy yellow to pale or dark green. Pickling cucumbers are sometimes sold fresh as “Kirby” or “Liberty” cucumbers. The pickling process removes or degrades much of the nutrient content, especially that of [[vitamin C]]. {{Citation needed|date=June 2013}} Pickled cucumbers are soaked in [[brine]] or a combination of [[vinegar]] and brine, although not vinegar alone, often along with various [[spice]]s. Pickled cucumbers are called "pickles" in the US or "gherkins" or "wallies" in the UK, the latter name being more common in the north of England, where it refers to the large vinegar-pickled cucumbers commonly sold in [[fish & chips|fish and chip]] shops. (Although the [[gherkin]] is of the same species as the cucumber, it is of a completely different [[cultivar]].)
=== Burpless ===
[[File:Persiancucumber.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Isfahan burpless cucumber originally from Iran]]
Burpless cucumbers are sweeter and have a thinner skin than other varieties of cucumber, and are reputed to be easy to digest and to have a pleasant taste. They can grow as long as {{convert|2|ft|m|sp=us}}. They are nearly seedless, and have a delicate skin. Most commonly grown in greenhouses, these [[parthenocarpic]] cucumbers are often found in grocery markets, shrink-wrapped in plastic. They are sometimes marketed as seedless or burpless, because the seeds and skin of other varieties of cucumbers are said to give some people gas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jordan-Reilly|first=Melissa|title=Why do cucumbers upset my digestion?|url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/471722-why-do-cucumbers-upset-my-digestion/|publisher=LiveStrong.com|accessdate=1 April 2012}}</ref>
Several varietals exist and are sold commercially:
[[Image:GNTdosakai.jpg|right|250px|thumb|'Dosakai' is a round, yellow, cucumber seen at a market in [[Guntur]], [[India]]]]
*Lebanese cucumbers are small, smooth-skinned and mild, yet with a distinct flavor and aroma. Like the English cucumber, Lebanese cucumbers are nearly seedless.
*East Asian cucumbers are mild, slender, deep green, and have a bumpy, ridged skin. They can be used for slicing, salads, pickling, etc., and are available year-round. They are usually burpless as well.
*Persian cucumber, which are mini, seedless, and slightly sweet, are available from Canada during the summer, and all year-round in the US. Easy to cut and peel, it is on average 4–7 in. long. They are commonly eaten chopped up in plain yogurt with mint or sliced thin and long with salt and lemon juice. Vines are parthenocarpic, requiring no pollinators for fruit set.
*Beit Alpha cucumbers are small, sweet parthenocarpic cucumbers adapted to the dry climate of the Middle East.
*Apple cucumbers are short, round cucumbers grown in [[New Zealand]] and parts of Europe, known for their light yellow-green color and mildly sweet flavor. When mature, the fruit may grow tiny spines, and contains numerous edible green seeds. The fruit is usually eaten raw, with skin.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20110724194759/http://www.wefs.co.nz/cucumber-apple/ Apple Cucumbers]. Wairarapa Eco Farms. wefs.co.nz</ref>
*''Schälgurken'' are eaten in Germany. Their thick skins are peeled and then they braised or fried, often with minced meat or dill. They are often known by the term 'Schmorgurken'.
*''Dosakai'' is a yellow cucumber available in parts of [[India]]. These fruits are generally spherical in shape. It is commonly cooked as curry, added in [[Sambar (dish)|''sambar'']] or soup, ''[[daal]]'' and also in making ''dosa-[[aavakaaya]]'' ([[Indian pickle]]) and [[chutney]]; it is also grown and available through farms in [[Central California]].
*''Kekiri'' is a smooth skinned cucumber, relatively hard, and not used for salads. It is cooked as spicy curry. It is found in dry zone of [[Sri Lanka]]. It becomes orange colored when the fruit is matured.
*In May 2008, [[United Kingdom|British]] supermarket chain [[Sainsbury's]] unveiled the 'c-thru-cumber', a thin-skinned variety that reportedly does not require peeling.<ref name=r1>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1022304/The-c-cucumbers-skin-encumber-them.html |title=The 'c-thru' cucumbers with no skin to encumber them|work=Daily Mail |publisher=Daily Mail |date=2008-05-28 |accessdate=2011-01-04 |location=London}}</ref>
===Armenian===
*[[Armenian cucumber]]s (also known as yard long cucumbers) are fruits produced by the plant ''Cucumis melo'' var. ''flexuosus''. This is not the same species as the common cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') although it is closely related. Armenian cucumbers have very long, ribbed fruit with a thin skin that does not require peeling, but are actually an immature melon. This is the variety sold in Middle Eastern markets as "pickled wild cucumber".<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Wild-cucumbers-got-you-in-a-pickle-2687138.php Wild cucumbers got you in a pickle?]. SFGate (2004-10-16). Retrieved on 2012-11-25.</ref> In [[North America]], the term "wild cucumber" also refers to plants in the genus ''[[Marah (plant)|Marah]]''.
== Taste ==
The human [[olfactory]] response to cucumbers appear to vary. Most people report a mild, almost watery flavor or a light melon taste, while a small but vocal minority report a highly repugnant taste—some say almost perfume-like.<ref>{{cite web|author=Adam Drewnowski and Carmen Gomez-Carneros |url=http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/72/6/1424.full | title=Bitter taste, phytonutrients, and the consumer: a review |publisher=American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |date=2000-12-01 |accessdate=2011-09-11}}</ref> Cucumbers vary in bitterness, even from the same plant. This bitter taste is attributed to the chemical compound [[Cucurbitacin|Cucurbitacin C]]. Cucurbitacin is poisonous to livestock, especially sheep.<ref>[http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+3477 Cucurbitacin C] -toxnet.nlm.nih.gov</ref>
== In the news ==
In May 2011, cucumbers infected with ''[[Escherichia coli|E. coli]]'' were claimed to have caused the deaths of at least ten people, leading to some retailers withdrawing cucumbers from sale in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.<ref>{{cite news|title=E.coli-infected cucumber scare spreads beyond Germany|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13589687|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=31 May 2011|date=2011-05-29}}</ref> The cucumbers were initially thought to have come from Spain. However, subsequent testing failed to show contamination in imported Spanish cucumbers, which led to the Spanish Government demanding compensation for Spanish farmers who had been forced to destroy huge quantities of cucumbers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deadly E. coli infections still rising in Germany|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13613487|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=1 June 2011|date=2011-06-01}}</ref>
After the outbreak, the [[World Health Organization]] stated that it was a completely new strain of the bacteria involved.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gallagher|first=James|title=E. coli outbreak is a new strain|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13626499|accessdate=2 June 2011|newspaper=BBC News|date=2 June 2011}}</ref>
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Cucumber vine in New Jersey.jpg|A tendril emerges from cucumber vines to grab hold of taller structures.
Image:Cucumbers growing on a string lattice structure.jpg|A string lattice helps cucumber vines grow to the sun.
Image:Cucumber plants growing.jpg|Cucumber plants late June in New Jersey.
Image:Komkommer plant.jpg|Cultivation in Japan.
Image:Sliced_cucumbers_and_tomatoes.JPG|Sliced cucumbers.
Image:Cucumber - 2 weeks old.jpg|Cucumber seedling, two weeks old, started indoors
</gallery>
==See also==
*[[Armenian cucumber]]
*[[Marah (plant)]]
== References ==
{{Reflist|35em}}
== Further reading ==
<div class="reflist">
* [http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~bcohen/cucumbers/history.html A very brief history of the cucumber in America]
* [http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42 Cucumber as health food]
* [http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/cucumber.html A brief article on cucumber history]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/history/lecture19/r_19-5.html Several plants listed from a work by Pliny the Elder]
* [http://www.adbio.com/science/agri-history.htm Source noting cucumbers in Ur in 3000 BC]
* The Complete Cucumber by Caroline Francis
* Cucumbers by Bob Adams Publishers
* Selected Themes and Icons from Medieval Spanish Literature: of Berards, Shoes, Cucumbers and Leprosy by John R. Burt
* Origin of Cultivated Plants by Alphonse de Candolle
* The Natural History of Pliny (Book XX primarily, with a reference to Tiberius eating them in Book XIX, Chapter 23)
* Bioresource Technology, Volume 98, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 214–217
* [http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/72/6/1424.full Bitter taste, phytonutrients, and the consumer: a review]
</div>
== External links ==
{{Commons}}
* {{ITIS |taxon = Cucumis sativus |id = 22364 |accessdate = January 30, 2006}}
*[http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUSA4 Plant profile at the Plants Database] – shows classification and distribution by US state.
*[http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27548 ''The Art of Promoting the Growth of the Cucumber and Melon''] by Thomas Watkins
*[http://www.calobonga.com/calorieCounter/food/11205/2/calorie-counter.lz Cucumber Nutrition Information] from USDA SR22 database
[[Category:Cucurbitaceae]]
[[Category:Fruit vegetables]]
[[Category:Plants and pollinators]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Plants with sequenced genomes]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext ) | '{{About|the fruit}}
{{Distinguish|Armenian cucumber}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Cucumber
| image = ARS_cucumber.jpg
| image_caption = Cucumbers grow on vines
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| unranked_divisio = [[Angiosperms]]
| unranked_classis = [[Eudicots]]
| unranked_ordo = [[Rosids]]
| ordo = [[Cucurbitales]]
| familia = [[Cucurbitaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Cucumis]]''
| species = '''''C. sativus'''''
| binomial = ''Cucumis sativus''
| binomial_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
'''Cucumber''' (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely cultivated plant in the [[gourd]] family [[Cucurbitaceae]]. It is a creeping vine that bears [[Cylinder (geometry)|cylindrical]] fruits that are used as culinary vegetables. There are three main varieties of cucumber: ''slicing'', ''[[Pickled cucumber|pickling]]'', and ''burpless''. Within these varieties, several different [[cultivar]]s have emerged. The cucumber is originally from [[Southern Asia]], but now grows on most [[continent]]s. Many different varieties are traded on the global market.
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BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD BURD 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== Production ==
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
! colspan=2|Top ten cucumber producers in 2010
|-
! Country
! Production ([[tonne]]s)
|-
| {{flag|China}}||align=right|40,709,556
|-
| {{flag|Iran}}||align=right|1,811,630
|-
| {{flag|Turkey}}||align=right|1,739,190
|-
| {{flag|Russia}}||align=right|1,161,870
|-
| {{flag|United States}}||align=right|883,360
|-
| {{flag|Ukraine}}||align=right|860,100
|-
| {{flag|Spain}}||align=right|682,900
|-
| {{flag|Egypt}}||align=right|631,408
|-
| {{flag|Japan}}||align=right|587,800
|-
| {{flag|Indonesia}}||align=right|547,141
|- style="background:#ccc;"
| {{noflag}}'''World'''||align=right| '''57,559,836'''
|-
|colspan=5 style="font-size:.7em"|''Source: [[UN Food & Agriculture Organisation]] (FAO)''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567#ancor |title=Major Food And Agricultural Commodities And Producers – Countries By Commodity |publisher=Fao.org |date= |accessdate=2012-05-12}}</ref>
|}
According to the [[Food and Agriculture Organization|Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]], China produced at least 60% of the global output of cucumbers in 2005, followed at a distance by Turkey, Russia, Iran and the United States.
== Cultivation ==
=== History ===
The cucumber originated in India, where a great many varieties have been observed,<ref name="Doijode">Doijode, S. D. (2001). ''Seed storage of horticultural crops''. Haworth Press. ISBN 1-56022-901-2 p. 281</ref><ref name="Renner 2007">{{cite journal|pmid=17425784|title=Phylogenetics of ''Cucumis'' (Cucurbitaceae): Cucumber (''C. sativus'') belongs in an Asian/Australian clade far from melon (''C. melo'')|year=2007|last1=Renner|first1=SS|last2=Schaefer|first2=H|last3=Kocyan|first3=A|volume=7|page=58|doi=10.1186/1471-2148-7-58|pmc=3225884|journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology}}
</ref><ref>[http://newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/170033 Cucumis hystrix]. Newstrackindia.com (2010-07-21). Retrieved on 2012-11-25.</ref> from ''[[Cucumis hystrix]]''.<ref name="Doijode"/><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/145850/cucumber cucumber], Encyclopaedia Britannica on-line.</ref> It has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, and was probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Greeks or Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear in [[France]] in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.
==== Earliest cultivation ====
[[File:An Indian yellow cucumber.jpg|thumb|left|An Indian yellow cucumber]]
The cucumber is listed among the foods of ancient [[Ur]], and the legend of [[Gilgamesh]] describes people eating cucumbers. Some sources{{who|date=September 2012}} also state it was produced in ancient [[Thrace]], and it is certainly part of modern cuisine in [[Bulgaria]] and [[Turkey]], parts of which make up that ancient state. Cucumbers are mentioned in the Bible as one of the foods eaten by the Israelites in Egypt.<ref>Numbers 11:5</ref> From India, it spread to [[Greece]] (where it was called "σίκυον", ''síkyon'') and [[Italy]] (where the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] were especially fond of the crop), and later into [[China]].
Robert Daniel, in discussing an ostracon dated to the second half of the third century AD, has suggested identifying an otherwise unknown word, ολγιττα, with the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''al-qitta''', the common word for cucumber.<ref>Although the ostracon was written in Greek, Daniel implies that the writer used the Arabic word instead of the Greek because the recipient, who has a Semitic name Salamanes, was a native Arabic speaker. Robert W. Daniel, [http://www.jstor.org/stable/20190675 "From Work on the Petra Papyri: Arabic on a Greek Ostracon from Roman Egypt and the Name of the Church Father Sozomen"], ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', '''131''' (2000), pp. 173-176</ref>
According to [[Pliny the Elder]] (''[[Natural History (Pliny)|The Natural History]]'', Book XIX, Chapter 23), the Ancient Greeks grew cucumbers, and there were different varieties in Italy, Africa, and [[Moesia]].
==== Roman Empire ====
According to Pliny, the Emperor [[Tiberius]] had the cucumber on his table daily during summer and winter. The Romans reportedly used artificial methods (similar to the greenhouse system) of growing to have it available for his table every day of the year. "Indeed, he was never without it; for he had raised beds made in frames upon wheels, by means of which the cucumbers were moved and exposed to the full heat of the sun; while, in winter, they were withdrawn, and placed under the protection of frames glazed with mirrorstone."<ref>Pliny, ''N.H.'', 19, 23</ref>
Reportedly, they were also cultivated in cucumber houses glazed with oiled cloth known as “[[Greenhouse|specularia]]”.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
Pliny the Elder describes the Italian fruit as very small, probably like a [[gherkin]], describing it as a wild cucumber considerably smaller than the cultivated one. Pliny also describes the preparation of a medication known as ''elaterium'', though some scholars{{who|date=February 2013}} believe he was referring to ''[[Ecballium elaterium]]'', known in pre-[[Linnean nomenclature|Linne]]an times as "Cucumis silvestris" or "Cucumis asininus" ("wild cucumber" or "donkey cucumber"), a species different from the common cucumber.<ref>Pliny, ''N.H.'', 20.3</ref> Pliny also writes about several other varieties of cucumber, including the cultivated cucumber,<ref>Pliny, ''N.H., 20.4-5</ref> and remedies from the different types (9 from the cultivated, 5 from the "anguine", and 26 from the "wild"). The Romans are reported to have used cucumbers to treat scorpion bites, bad eyesight, and to scare away mice. Wives wishing for children wore them around their waists. They were also carried by [[Midwifery|midwives]], and thrown away when the child was born.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
==== Middle Ages ====
[[Charlemagne]] had cucumbers grown in his gardens in the 8th/9th century. They were reportedly introduced into England in the early 14th century, lost, then reintroduced approximately 250 years later.
The [[Spaniards]] (through the [[Italian people|Italian]] [[Christopher Columbus]]) brought cucumbers to [[Haiti]] in 1494. In 1535, [[Jacques Cartier]], a French explorer, found “very great cucumbers” grown on the site of what is now [[Montreal]].
==== Post-enlightenment ====
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2008}}
Throughout the 16th century, European trappers, traders, [[bison]] hunters, and explorers bartered for the products of American Indian [[agriculture]]. The tribes of the [[Great Plains]] and the [[Rocky Mountains]] learned from the Spanish how to grow European crops. The farmers on the Great Plains included the [[Mandan]] and [[Abenaki]]. They obtained cucumbers and [[watermelon]]s from the Spanish, and added them to the crops they were already growing, including several varieties of [[Maize|corn]] and [[bean]]s, [[pumpkin]]s, [[Squash (fruit)|squash]], and [[gourd]] plants.<ref>{{cite book|title=Taste, Memory: Forgotten Foods, Lost Flavors, and why They Matter|pages=109|last=Buchanan|first=David|publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing|location=VT, USA|isbn=9781603584401|year=2012}}</ref> The [[Iroquois]] were also growing them when the first Europeans visited them.<ref>{{cite book|title=Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, Botany and Use|pages=159|last=Kuhnlein|first=H. V.|last=Turner|first=N. J.|publisher=Gordon and Breach|location=Amsterdam, Netherlands|year=1996|isbn=9782881244650}}</ref>
In 1630, the Reverend [[Francis Higginson]] produced a book called ''New England’s Plantation'' in which, describing a garden on Conant’s Island in [[Boston Harbor]] known as ''The Governor’s Garden'', he states: “The countrie aboundeth naturally with store of roots of great varietie and good to eat. Our turnips, parsnips, and carrots are here both bigger and sweeter than is ordinary to be found in England. Here are store of pompions, cowcumbers, and other things of that nature which I know not...”
William Wood also published in 1633’s New England Prospect (published in England) observations he made in 1629 in America: “The ground affords very good kitchin gardens, for Turneps, Parsnips, Carrots, Radishes, and Pompions, Muskmillons, Isquoter-squashes, coucumbars, Onyons, and whatever grows well in England grows as well there, many things being better and larger.”
In the later 17th century, a prejudice developed against uncooked vegetables and fruits. A number of articles in contemporary health publications stated that uncooked plants brought on summer diseases and should be forbidden to children. The cucumber kept this vile reputation for an inordinate period of time: “fit only for consumption by cows,” which some believe is why it gained the name, ''cowcumber''.
A copper etching made by Maddalena Bouchard between 1772 and 1793 shows this plant to have smaller, almost bean-shaped fruits, and small yellow flowers. The small form of the cucumber is figured in Herbals of the 16th century, but states, "If hung in a tube while in blossom, the Cucumber will grow to a most surprising length."
[[Samuel Pepys]] wrote in his diary on August 22, 1663:<ref>[http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1663/08/22/ Saturday 22 August 1663 (Pepys' Diary)]. Pepysdiary.com. Retrieved on 2012-11-25.</ref> “this day Sir W. Batten tells me that Mr. Newburne is dead of eating cowcumbers, of which the other day I heard of another, I think.” In "The Greenstone Door", William Satchell notes that "Te Moanaroa was dead – of a surfeit of cucumbers...", having eaten four of the "prickly" melons. (Chapter XX, The Storm Cloud).
== Varieties ==
{{See also|List of cucumber varieties}}
In human cultivation, the varieties of cucumbers are classified into three main varieties: "slicing", "pickling", and "burpless".
=== Slicing ===
[[File:Kurkkuja.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Slicing cucumbers]]
Cucumbers grown to eat fresh are called slicing cucumbers. They are mainly eaten in the unripe green form, since the ripe yellow form normally becomes bitter and sour. Slicers grown commercially for the North American market are generally longer, smoother, more uniform in color, and have a much tougher skin. Slicers in other countries are smaller and have a thinner, more delicate skin. Smaller slicing cucumbers can also be pickled.
=== Pickling ===
[[Image:PicklingCucumbers.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Pickling cucumbers]]
{{Main|Pickled cucumber}}
Cucumbers can be [[Pickled cucumber|pickled]] for flavor and longer [[shelf-life]]. Although any cucumber can be pickled, commercial pickles are made from cucumbers specially bred for uniformity of length-to-diameter ratio and lack of voids in the flesh. Those cucumbers intended for [[pickling]], called picklers, grow to about {{convert|7|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} to {{convert|10|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} long and {{convert|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} wide. Compared to slicers, picklers tend to be shorter, thicker, less regularly shaped, and have bumpy skin with tiny white or black-dotted spines. They are never waxed. Color can vary from creamy yellow to pale or dark green. Pickling cucumbers are sometimes sold fresh as “Kirby” or “Liberty” cucumbers. The pickling process removes or degrades much of the nutrient content, especially that of [[vitamin C]]. {{Citation needed|date=June 2013}} Pickled cucumbers are soaked in [[brine]] or a combination of [[vinegar]] and brine, although not vinegar alone, often along with various [[spice]]s. Pickled cucumbers are called "pickles" in the US or "gherkins" or "wallies" in the UK, the latter name being more common in the north of England, where it refers to the large vinegar-pickled cucumbers commonly sold in [[fish & chips|fish and chip]] shops. (Although the [[gherkin]] is of the same species as the cucumber, it is of a completely different [[cultivar]].)
=== Burpless ===
[[File:Persiancucumber.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Isfahan burpless cucumber originally from Iran]]
Burpless cucumbers are sweeter and have a thinner skin than other varieties of cucumber, and are reputed to be easy to digest and to have a pleasant taste. They can grow as long as {{convert|2|ft|m|sp=us}}. They are nearly seedless, and have a delicate skin. Most commonly grown in greenhouses, these [[parthenocarpic]] cucumbers are often found in grocery markets, shrink-wrapped in plastic. They are sometimes marketed as seedless or burpless, because the seeds and skin of other varieties of cucumbers are said to give some people gas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jordan-Reilly|first=Melissa|title=Why do cucumbers upset my digestion?|url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/471722-why-do-cucumbers-upset-my-digestion/|publisher=LiveStrong.com|accessdate=1 April 2012}}</ref>
Several varietals exist and are sold commercially:
[[Image:GNTdosakai.jpg|right|250px|thumb|'Dosakai' is a round, yellow, cucumber seen at a market in [[Guntur]], [[India]]]]
*Lebanese cucumbers are small, smooth-skinned and mild, yet with a distinct flavor and aroma. Like the English cucumber, Lebanese cucumbers are nearly seedless.
*East Asian cucumbers are mild, slender, deep green, and have a bumpy, ridged skin. They can be used for slicing, salads, pickling, etc., and are available year-round. They are usually burpless as well.
*Persian cucumber, which are mini, seedless, and slightly sweet, are available from Canada during the summer, and all year-round in the US. Easy to cut and peel, it is on average 4–7 in. long. They are commonly eaten chopped up in plain yogurt with mint or sliced thin and long with salt and lemon juice. Vines are parthenocarpic, requiring no pollinators for fruit set.
*Beit Alpha cucumbers are small, sweet parthenocarpic cucumbers adapted to the dry climate of the Middle East.
*Apple cucumbers are short, round cucumbers grown in [[New Zealand]] and parts of Europe, known for their light yellow-green color and mildly sweet flavor. When mature, the fruit may grow tiny spines, and contains numerous edible green seeds. The fruit is usually eaten raw, with skin.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20110724194759/http://www.wefs.co.nz/cucumber-apple/ Apple Cucumbers]. Wairarapa Eco Farms. wefs.co.nz</ref>
*''Schälgurken'' are eaten in Germany. Their thick skins are peeled and then they braised or fried, often with minced meat or dill. They are often known by the term 'Schmorgurken'.
*''Dosakai'' is a yellow cucumber available in parts of [[India]]. These fruits are generally spherical in shape. It is commonly cooked as curry, added in [[Sambar (dish)|''sambar'']] or soup, ''[[daal]]'' and also in making ''dosa-[[aavakaaya]]'' ([[Indian pickle]]) and [[chutney]]; it is also grown and available through farms in [[Central California]].
*''Kekiri'' is a smooth skinned cucumber, relatively hard, and not used for salads. It is cooked as spicy curry. It is found in dry zone of [[Sri Lanka]]. It becomes orange colored when the fruit is matured.
*In May 2008, [[United Kingdom|British]] supermarket chain [[Sainsbury's]] unveiled the 'c-thru-cumber', a thin-skinned variety that reportedly does not require peeling.<ref name=r1>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1022304/The-c-cucumbers-skin-encumber-them.html |title=The 'c-thru' cucumbers with no skin to encumber them|work=Daily Mail |publisher=Daily Mail |date=2008-05-28 |accessdate=2011-01-04 |location=London}}</ref>
===Armenian===
*[[Armenian cucumber]]s (also known as yard long cucumbers) are fruits produced by the plant ''Cucumis melo'' var. ''flexuosus''. This is not the same species as the common cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') although it is closely related. Armenian cucumbers have very long, ribbed fruit with a thin skin that does not require peeling, but are actually an immature melon. This is the variety sold in Middle Eastern markets as "pickled wild cucumber".<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Wild-cucumbers-got-you-in-a-pickle-2687138.php Wild cucumbers got you in a pickle?]. SFGate (2004-10-16). Retrieved on 2012-11-25.</ref> In [[North America]], the term "wild cucumber" also refers to plants in the genus ''[[Marah (plant)|Marah]]''.
== Taste ==
The human [[olfactory]] response to cucumbers appear to vary. Most people report a mild, almost watery flavor or a light melon taste, while a small but vocal minority report a highly repugnant taste—some say almost perfume-like.<ref>{{cite web|author=Adam Drewnowski and Carmen Gomez-Carneros |url=http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/72/6/1424.full | title=Bitter taste, phytonutrients, and the consumer: a review |publisher=American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |date=2000-12-01 |accessdate=2011-09-11}}</ref> Cucumbers vary in bitterness, even from the same plant. This bitter taste is attributed to the chemical compound [[Cucurbitacin|Cucurbitacin C]]. Cucurbitacin is poisonous to livestock, especially sheep.<ref>[http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+3477 Cucurbitacin C] -toxnet.nlm.nih.gov</ref>
== In the news ==
In May 2011, cucumbers infected with ''[[Escherichia coli|E. coli]]'' were claimed to have caused the deaths of at least ten people, leading to some retailers withdrawing cucumbers from sale in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.<ref>{{cite news|title=E.coli-infected cucumber scare spreads beyond Germany|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13589687|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=31 May 2011|date=2011-05-29}}</ref> The cucumbers were initially thought to have come from Spain. However, subsequent testing failed to show contamination in imported Spanish cucumbers, which led to the Spanish Government demanding compensation for Spanish farmers who had been forced to destroy huge quantities of cucumbers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deadly E. coli infections still rising in Germany|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13613487|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=1 June 2011|date=2011-06-01}}</ref>
After the outbreak, the [[World Health Organization]] stated that it was a completely new strain of the bacteria involved.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gallagher|first=James|title=E. coli outbreak is a new strain|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13626499|accessdate=2 June 2011|newspaper=BBC News|date=2 June 2011}}</ref>
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Cucumber vine in New Jersey.jpg|A tendril emerges from cucumber vines to grab hold of taller structures.
Image:Cucumbers growing on a string lattice structure.jpg|A string lattice helps cucumber vines grow to the sun.
Image:Cucumber plants growing.jpg|Cucumber plants late June in New Jersey.
Image:Komkommer plant.jpg|Cultivation in Japan.
Image:Sliced_cucumbers_and_tomatoes.JPG|Sliced cucumbers.
Image:Cucumber - 2 weeks old.jpg|Cucumber seedling, two weeks old, started indoors
</gallery>
==See also==
*[[Armenian cucumber]]
*[[Marah (plant)]]
== References ==
{{Reflist|35em}}
== Further reading ==
<div class="reflist">
* [http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~bcohen/cucumbers/history.html A very brief history of the cucumber in America]
* [http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42 Cucumber as health food]
* [http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/cucumber.html A brief article on cucumber history]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/history/lecture19/r_19-5.html Several plants listed from a work by Pliny the Elder]
* [http://www.adbio.com/science/agri-history.htm Source noting cucumbers in Ur in 3000 BC]
* The Complete Cucumber by Caroline Francis
* Cucumbers by Bob Adams Publishers
* Selected Themes and Icons from Medieval Spanish Literature: of Berards, Shoes, Cucumbers and Leprosy by John R. Burt
* Origin of Cultivated Plants by Alphonse de Candolle
* The Natural History of Pliny (Book XX primarily, with a reference to Tiberius eating them in Book XIX, Chapter 23)
* Bioresource Technology, Volume 98, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 214–217
* [http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/72/6/1424.full Bitter taste, phytonutrients, and the consumer: a review]
</div>
== External links ==
{{Commons}}
* {{ITIS |taxon = Cucumis sativus |id = 22364 |accessdate = January 30, 2006}}
*[http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CUSA4 Plant profile at the Plants Database] – shows classification and distribution by US state.
*[http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27548 ''The Art of Promoting the Growth of the Cucumber and Melon''] by Thomas Watkins
*[http://www.calobonga.com/calorieCounter/food/11205/2/calorie-counter.lz Cucumber Nutrition Information] from USDA SR22 database
[[Category:Cucurbitaceae]]
[[Category:Fruit vegetables]]
[[Category:Plants and pollinators]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Plants with sequenced genomes]]' |
Lines removed in edit (removed_lines ) | [
0 => '== Description ==',
1 => '{{nutritional value | name=Cucumber, with peel, raw',
2 => '| water=95.23',
3 => '| kJ=65',
4 => '| protein=0.65 g',
5 => '| fat=0.11 g',
6 => '| carbs=3.63 g',
7 => '| fiber=0.5 g',
8 => '| sugars=1.67',
9 => '| calcium_mg=16',
10 => '| iron_mg=0.28',
11 => '| magnesium_mg=13',
12 => '| phosphorus_mg=24',
13 => '| potassium_mg=147',
14 => '| sodium_mg=2',
15 => '| zinc_mg=0.2',
16 => '| manganese_mg=0.079',
17 => '| opt1n=[[Fluoride]]',
18 => '| opt1v=1.3 µg',
19 => '| vitC_mg=2.8',
20 => '| thiamin_mg=0.027',
21 => '| riboflavin_mg=0.033',
22 => '| niacin_mg=0.098',
23 => '| pantothenic_mg=0.259',
24 => '| vitB6_mg=0.04',
25 => '| folate_ug=7',
26 => '| vitK_ug=16.4',
27 => '| source_usda = 1',
28 => '| note=[http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list?qlookup=11205&format=Full Link to USDA Database entry]',
29 => '}}',
30 => 'The cucumber is a creeping vine that roots in the ground and grows up [[Trellis (agriculture)|trellises]] or other supporting frames, wrapping around supports with thin, spiraling tendrils. The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The fruit of the cucumber is roughly [[cylinder (geometry)|cylindrical]], elongated with tapered ends, and may be as large as {{convert|60|cm|in|sp=us}} long and {{convert|10|cm|in|sp=us}} in diameter. Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower, botanically speaking, cucumbers are classified as [[accessory fruit]]s. Much like tomatoes and squash they are often also perceived, prepared and eaten as [[vegetable]]s. Cucumbers are usually more than 90% water.',
31 => false,
32 => '=== Flowering and pollination ===',
33 => 'A few [[cultivar]]s of cucumber are [[parthenocarpic]], the blossoms creating seedless fruit without [[pollination]]. Pollination for these cultivars degrades the quality. In the United States, these are usually grown in [[greenhouse]]s, where bees are excluded. In Europe, they are grown outdoors in some regions, and bees are excluded from these areas.',
34 => false,
35 => 'Most cucumber cultivars, however, are seeded and require pollination. Thousands of hives of [[honey bee]]s are annually carried to cucumber fields just before bloom for this purpose. Cucumbers may also be pollinated by [[bumblebee]]s and several other bee species. Most cucumbers that require pollination are [[Self-incompatibility in plants|self-incompatible]], so pollen from a different plant is required to form seeds and fruit.<ref name=Nonnecke>{{cite book |author=Nonnecke, I.L. |year=1989 |title=Vegetable Production |publisher=Springer |isbn=9780442267216 |url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=H7i8QJw8BJsC }}</ref> Some self-compatible cultivars exist that are related to the 'Lemon' cultivar.<ref name=Nonnecke/> Symptoms of inadequate pollination include fruit abortion and misshapen fruit. Partially pollinated flowers may develop fruit that are green and develop normally near the stem end, but are pale yellow and withered at the blossom end.',
36 => false,
37 => 'Traditional cultivars produce male blossoms first, then female, in about equivalent numbers. Newer [[gynoecious]] hybrid [[cultivar]]s produce almost all female blossoms. They may have a [[pollenizer]] cultivar interplanted, and the number of beehives per unit area is increased, but temperature changes induce male flowers even on these plants, which may be sufficient for pollination to occur.<ref name=Nonnecke/>',
38 => false,
39 => '[[Insecticide]] applications for insect pests must be done very carefully to avoid killing off the insect [[pollinator]]s.',
40 => false,
41 => '[[File:Cucumber and cross section.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Cucumber, whole and in longitudinal section]]{{clear left}}',
42 => false,
43 => '=== Genome ===',
44 => '{{Infobox genome ',
45 => '| image = <!-- Karyotype, for instance -->',
46 => '| caption = ',
47 => '| taxId = 1639',
48 => '| ploidy = diploid',
49 => '| chromosomes = <!-- number of pairs -->',
50 => '| size = 323.99 Mb',
51 => '| year = ',
52 => '| organelle = mitochondrion',
53 => '| organelle-size = 244.82 Mb',
54 => '| organelle-year = 2011',
55 => '}}',
56 => 'In 2009, an international team of researchers announced they had sequenced the cucumber genome.<ref>{{cite doi|10.1038/ng.475}}</ref>'
] |