Cucumis metuliferus
Horngurke (Cucumis metuliferus )
The Horngurke or horn melon (Cucumis metuliferus ) is a plant belonging to the gourd family ( Cucurbitaceae ). Its fruits are known in Europe under the trademark horned melon.
Features
The Horngurke is an annual, monoecious climber. The leaves resemble those of the cucumber. The male flowers appear for a few days before the female.
The fruits are about one month after fertilization their maximum weight, in the following two weeks, they are sweet and orange and reach maturity. They are then 10 to 15 inches long and ellipsoidal. The spines on the surface have a wide base and are about an inch long. For fruit ripening the fruits are bright orange, the interior is green. The taste is described as a combination of banana, lemon and passion fruit, other than again stale and astringent. Fruits of wild plants taste bitter.
The chromosome number is 2n = 24
Dissemination
The Horngurke is endemic in the semi-arid areas of southern and central Africa. It grows in low altitudes. Today it is cultivated in many countries. In Queensland, the Horngurke has run wild and is now classified as an invasive plant.
Cultivation
The horn cucumber is grown including New Zealand and Israel for export to Europe and the United States. New Zealand Horn cucumbers are marketed under the trademark horned melon. Conveniently for export is the durability of the fruits of up to several months.
The cultivation is similar to that of muskmelon. The time between sowing and harvest in Israel is three and a half months.
The income may be more than 46 tons of fruit per hectare per harvest. The plants are compared with some typical viral diseases of cucurbits resistant.
Nutrients - vitamins and trace elements
Source ( in English language ) United States Department of Agriculture
Documents
- R. W. Robinson, D. S. Decker -Walters: cucurbits. CAB International, Wallingford 1997, p 60 ISBN 0-85199-133-5
- Aliza Benzioni: horned melon. New Crop Factsheet 1997, Purdue University ( accessed April 3, 2008 )