Cucurbitaceae (Vine Crops)

Abstract The Cucurbitaceae or vine crop family is a distinct family without any close relatives and includes many important vegetables such as cucumber, melon, watermelon, squash, pumpkin and gourds. Plants within Cucurbitaceae consist of 95 genera classified into 15 tribes. Cucurbits are trailing or vining tendril‐bearing annual plants. The plants are mostly monoecious with separate male and female flowers and require various insect, especially bees for pollination. The fruit come in various shapes and sizes, of which the pumpkin plants produce some of the largest known fruits among flowering plants and are often used in contests. Gourd fruits are used for preparing food, making musical instruments, containers and other decorative pieces. Watermelon is considered the most popular among the cucurbits whose delicious fruit are widely consumed throughout the world. Key Concepts Cucumber, watermelon, melon, pumpkin, squash and gourds belong to the family Cucurbitaceae. Cucurbits are mainly trailing or vining tendril‐bearing annual plants. Cucurbit plants are mostly monoecious, that is, they have separate male and female flowers. Pumpkin plants produce some of the largest know fruits among flowering plants. Watermelon is the most popular cucurbit and its delicious fruits are consumed worldwide. The red pigment responsible for watermelon flesh colour is an anticancer agent. Watermelon fruit have more lycopene than tomato. Bottle gourds are considered to be some of the earliest domesticated plant species.