Home Page > Picture Archives > > Family: Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae Juss. - Cucumber Family
(Citrullus dimidiens, Citrullus nubica, Citrullus pseudocolocynthis, Colocynthis officinalis, Colocynthis officinarum, Colocynthis vulgaris, Cucumis bipinnatifidus, Cucumis colocynthis, Cucumis pseudocolocynthis, Cucurbita colocyntha)
Common names: Bitter gourd, desert squash, Hadaj, handal, Handhal, murrah, shary
Extract from Wikipedia article: Citrullus colocynthis, commonly known as the colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, desert gourd, egusi, or vine of Sodom (Sanskrit: Gavakshi गवाक्षी, Indarvaruni इंद्रवारूणी), Tamil: பேய்க்கொம்மட்டி is a desert viny plant native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia, especially Turkey (especially in regions such as İzmir), Nubia and Trieste. It resembles a common watermelon vine but bears small, hard fruits with a bitter pulp. It originally bore the scientific name Colocynthis citrullus, but is now classified as Citrullus colocynthis.
  Field of desert watermellons Citrullus colocynthis (Cucumis colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) near a road to Sawda Natheel in southern Qatar, February 11, 2014  Desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (Cucumis colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) near a road to Sawda Natheel in southern Qatar, February 11, 2014  Flower of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (Cucumis colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) near a road to Sawda Natheel in southern Qatar, February 11, 2014  Desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apples, Cucumis colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) near a road to Sawda Natheel in southern Qatar, February 11, 2014  Rotten last year bitter gourd (Citrullus colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) on a roadside of Abu Samra Road in southern Qatar, February 11, 2014  Field of rotten desert gourd (Citrullus colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) on a roadside of Abu Samra Road in southern Qatar, February 11, 2014  Leaves of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apples, Cucumis colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) on roadside of Salwa Road near Karaana, south-west from Doha. Qatar, April 23, 2014  Shoot of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apples, Cucumis colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) on roadside of Salwa Road near Karaana, south-west from Doha. Qatar, April 23, 2014  Fruit of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apples, Cucumis colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) near Karaana (Karana, Al Kiranah), south-west from Doha. Qatar, April 23, 2014  Blooming desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (local names handal, shary, Handhal) at entrance of Ras Abrouq Peninsula near Zekreet. Qatar, November 14, 2014  Flower of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (local names handal, shary, Handhal) at entrance of Ras Abrouq Peninsula near Zekreet. Qatar, November 14, 2014  Flower of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis taken from roadside of Salwa Road. Southern Qatar, November 29, 2014  Desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (Cucumis colocynthis) taken from area of Al Khor. Qatar, December 5, 2014  Fruit of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apples) taken from a road to Al Jumayliyah in north-western Qatar, December 6, 2014  Dissected fruits of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apples) taken from a road to Al Jumayliyah in north-western Qatar, December 6, 2014  Seeds of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apples) taken from a road to Al Jumayliyah in north-western Qatar, December 6, 2014  Desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis at the entrance of Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Watermelon like fruits of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis at the entrance of Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis with fruits at the entrance of Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Fruits of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis at the entrance of Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis in sandy depression at the entrance of Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Field of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis in a depression at the entrance of Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Large vine of desert gourd (Citrullus colocynthis) growing over a bush of Ziziphus nummularia in a silty depression near Al Nuaman (Numan) in north-western Qatar, December 12, 2014  Field of desert gourd (Citrullus colocynthis) near Al Nuaman (Numan) in north-western Qatar, December 12, 2014  Large plant of desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis on a Ziziphus bush in a silty depression in Al Numan (Naim tribe, Nuaman, Nuaimiya). Northern Qatar, February 6, 2015  Desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis in a silty depression in Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, March 20, 2015  Desert gourd Citrullus colocynthis (Cucumis colocynthis, local names handal, shary, Handhal) in a silty depression in Al Nuaman (Naim tribe, Nuaimiya) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, March 28, 2015  Seedling of bitter gourd (Citrullus colocynthis) on roadside of a road to Umm Hota Village, near Sawda Natheel. Southern Qatar, February 5, 2016 |
(Anguria citrullus, Citrullus amarus, Citrullus anguria, Citrullus aquosus, Citrullus battich, Citrullus caffer, Citrullus caffrorum, Citrullus chodospermus, Citrullus citrullus, Citrullus colocynthis, Citrullus edulis, Citrullus pasteca, Citrullus vulgaris, Colocynthis amarissima, Colocynthis citrullus, Cucumis amarissimus, Cucumis citrullus, Cucumis colocynthis, Cucumis dissectus, Cucumis edulis, Cucumis laciniosus, Cucumis vulgaris, Cucurbita anguria, Cucurbita caffra, Cucurbita citrullus, Cucurbita gigantea, Cucurbita pinnatifida, Momordica lanata)
Common names: watermelon
 Yellow flower of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) on Al Mawrid Street in Al Lejbailat area. Doha, Qatar, May 26, 2016 |
(Cucumis amarus, Cucumis anguria, Cucumis arabicus, Cucumis foetidus, Cucumis mascatensis, Cucumis pustulatus)
Common names: hadaj, hadak, henaidhlan, wild gourd
 Flower of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Green fruits of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Yellow flower with ovary of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Ripe fruit of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Yellow fruit on a plant of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Close up of a ripe yellow fruit of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Close up of a green fruit of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Fruit of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) taken from roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Green fruit of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) taken from roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Dissected fruit of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) taken from roadside of a road to Al Nuaman (Al Numan) near Zubara. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014  Ripe fruit of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) taken from Umm Houtah in Southern Qatar, January 16, 2015  Seeds of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) taken from Umm Houtah in Southern Qatar, January 16, 2015  Seeds of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on dark background taken from Umm Houtah in Southern Qatar, January 16, 2015  Wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road from Khawzan to Al-Jumayliyah. Qatar, April 9, 2016  Flower of wild gourd (Cucumis prophetarum) on roadside of a road from Khawzan to Al-Jumayliyah. Qatar, April 9, 2016 |
(Cucumis bicirrha, Cucumis lagenaria, Cucumis mairei, Cucurbita ciceraria, Cucurbita idolatrica, Cucurbita idololatrica, Cucurbita lagenaria, Cucurbita leucantha, Cucurbita pyriformis, Cucurbita siceraria, Cucurbita vittata, Lagenaria bicornuta, Lagenaria idolatrica, Lagenaria lagenaria, Lagenaria leucantha, Lagenaria microcarpa, Lagenaria vulgaris)
Common names: bottle gourd, calabash
Extract from Wikipedia article: The calabash, bottle gourd, or white-flowered gourd, Lagenaria siceraria (synonym Lagenaria vulgaris Ser.), also known as opo squash (from Tagalog: upo) or long melon, is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. The fresh fruit has a light-green smooth skin and a white flesh. Rounder varieties are called calabash gourds. They grow in a variety of shapes: they can be huge and rounded, small and bottle shaped, or slim and serpentine, more than a metre long. Because bottle gourds are also called "calabashes", they are sometimes confused with the hard, hollow fruits of the unrelated calabash tree, Crescentia cujete, whose fruits are also used to make utensils, containers, and musical instruments. The gourd was one of the first cultivated plants in the world, grown not primarily for food, but for use as water containers. The bottle gourd may have been carried from Africa to Asia, Europe, and the Americas in the course of human migration, or by seeds floating across the oceans inside the gourd. It has been proven to be in the New World prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus.
(Bryonia cheirophylla, Cucumis acutangulus, Cucumis lineatus, Cucumis megacarpus, Cucumis pentandrus, Luffa acutangula, Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa arabum, Luffa cattu-picinna, Luffa clavata, Luffa cordata, Luffa hederacea, Luffa insularum, Luffa jacquinii, Luffa leiocarpa, Luffa leucosperma, Luffa luffa, Luffa parvala, Luffa pentandra, Luffa petola, Luffa racemosa, Luffa satpatia, Luffa scabra, Luffa striata, Luffa subangulata, Luffa veitchii, Luffa vittata, Melothria touchanensis, Momordica carinata, Momordica cylindrica, Momordica luffa, Momordica operculata, Momordica reticulata, Poppya fabiana, Turia cordata, Turia cylindrica, Turia sativa)
Common names: dishrag gourd, Vietnamese gourd
My notes: Some of pictures may show different species.
 Vietnamese gourd (Luffa cylindrica) at a door near B Ring Road in Al Doha Al Jadeeda neighborhood. Doha, Qatar, January 31, 2014  Climbing dishrag gourd (Luffa cylindrica) at a corner of Ziyad Bin Eyad Street in Al Doha Al Jadeeda neighborhood. Doha, Qatar, January 31, 2014  Dishrag gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica) near Zubara exit of Al Shamal Road. Northern Qatar, April 3, 2014  Flower of dishrag gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica) near Zubara exit of Al Shamal Road. Northern Qatar, April 3, 2014  Luffa cylindrica(?) on Corniche in West Bay. Doha, Qatar, April 15, 2014  Leaves of dishrag gourd (Luffa cylindrica)(?) on Umm Wishad Street in Musheirib area. Doha, Qatar, April 18, 2014  Dishrag gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica) in area of West Bay. Doha, Qatar, November 27, 2014  Dishrag gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica) in West Bay, in Onaiza area. Doha, Qatar, December 20, 2014  Dishrag gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica) near a central pole of one of fields on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, October 9, 2015  Dry fruits of dishrag gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica) near a central pole of one of fields on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, October 9, 2015  Dishrag gourd (Luffa cylindrica)(?) on roadside of Salwa Road near Mukaynis. Qatar, November 27, 2015  Dishrag gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica) at Al Jassasiya Street in Musheirib neighborhood. Doha, Qatar, December 25, 2015 |
(Cucumis argyi, Cucumis intermedius, Momordica chinensis, Momordica elegans, Momordica indica, Momordica muricata, Momordica sinensis, Momordica thollonii, Sicyos fauriei)
Common names: balsam-pear, bitter gourd, bitter melon, bitter squash, Goya, Karela
Extract from Wikipedia article: Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, bitter squash, or balsam-pear in English, has many other local names. Goya from Okinawan and karela from Sanskrit are also used by English-language speakers.
 Stack of warty fruits of bitter gourd (bitter melon, Momordica charantia) in Vegetable Market, Wholesale Markets area. Doha, Qatar, April 7, 2012  Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) cultivated in a small kitchen garden on Al Muhandiseen Street in Al Lejbailat area. Doha, Qatar, February 25, 2016  Flower of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) cultivated in a small kitchen garden on Al Muhandiseen Street in Al Lejbailat area. Doha, Qatar, February 25, 2016  Leaf of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) cultivated in a small kitchen garden on Al Muhandiseen Street in Al Lejbailat area. Doha, Qatar, February 25, 2016 |
Common names: chichinda, padwal, serpent gourd, snake gourd
Extract from Wikipedia article: Trichosanthes cucumerina is a tropical or subtropical vine, its variety T. cucumerina var. anguina raised for its strikingly long fruit, used as a vegetable, medicine, and in crafting traditional Australian musical instruments known as didgeridoos. Common names of the cultivated variety include snake gourd, serpent gourd, chichinda, and padwal.
 Fruits of snake gourd (padwal, Trichosanthes cucumerina) in Vegetable Market, Wholesale Markets area. Doha, Qatar, April 7, 2012  Flower of snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) on Al Wosail Street in Onaiza area. Doha, Qatar, April 8, 2015  Close up of a flower of snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) on Al Wosail Street in Onaiza area. Doha, Qatar, April 8, 2015  Flower of snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) taken from Al Wosail Street in Onaiza area. Doha, Qatar, April 27, 2015 |
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How the web page was created
- A list of plants with their common names was written using online sources and books.
- Web pages were written by a program consisting of several scripts.
- Full names, synonyms, and classification of plants were found online from catalogueoflife.org and theplantlist.org
using a script.
- Pictures of plants were selected from a database
using a script.
- This web page was written
using a script.
Acknowledgements
QNHG (Qatar Natural History Group) and associated people,
for a possibility to participate in their field excursions and to learn about local nature.
