Uses
Toxic parts
Edible uses
Notes
Seed - raw[6][7]. Rich in oil with a nutty flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat[K]. Young leaves and stems - cooked as a potherb.
Oil from seed[8]. Said to resemble olive oil, it is used in salad dressings and French cooking[9]. The oil contains 22.3% linoleic acid, 58.5% oleic acid, 6.8% palmitic acid and 3.7% stearic acid[10].Fruit
Leaves
Unknown part
Seed
Material uses
Medicinal uses(Warning!)
The fruit is depurative, diuretic, emollient, purgative and resolvent[4][13][14][10]. The fresh fruit is used internally in the treatment of blemished skin, heat rash etc, whilst it is used externally as a poultice for burns, sores etc and also as a cosmetic for softening the skin[10][12]. The seed is cooling, diuretic, tonic and vermifuge[11][10]. 25 - 50 grams of the thoroughly ground seeds (including the seed coat) is a standard dose as a vermifuge and usually needs to be followed by a purgative to expel the worms from the body[11].
A decoction of the root is diuretic[10].Ecology
Ecosystem niche/layer
Ecological Functions
Nothing listed.
Forage
Nothing listed.
Shelter
Nothing listed.
Propagation
Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Cucumis sativus. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.
Cultivation
A frost-tender plant, the cucumber is commonly cultivated for its edible fruit, there are many named varieties[5][9]. Many of these varieties are only suitable for protected cropping in Britain though there are a number that have been specifically bred for cool temperate areas and these succeed outdoors in most summers[15]. Many of the cultivars, especially the greenhouse forms, should have their male flowers removed in order to prevent fertilization, since the fertilized fruits have a bitter taste. A number of cultivars have been developed that only produce female flowers[16]. Cucumbers make good companion plants for sweet corn, beans and sunflowers[17], but they dislike growing with potatoes and aromatic herbs[18].
The roots of cucumber plants secrete a substance that inhibits the growth of most weeds[14].Crops
Problems, pests & diseases
Associations & Interactions
There are no interactions listed for Cucumis sativus. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.
Polycultures & Guilds
There are no polycultures listed which include Cucumis sativus.
Descendants
Cultivars
Varieties
None listed.
Subspecies
None listed.
Full Data
This table shows all the data stored for this plant.
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