''Zehneria'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

s – of

vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themsel ...

s in the cucumber and gourd

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Cucurbitaceae The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: *''Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds *'' Lagen ...

. It contains about 35 species ranging from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, through

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

and

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...

. The name honours

botanical artist Botanical illustration is the art of depicting the form, color, and details of plant species, frequently in watercolor paintings. They must be scientifically accurate but often also have an artistic component and may be printed with a botanical ...

Joseph Zehner.Flora of Australia Online.

Description

''Zehneria'' species are either

monoecious Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy. Monoecy is ...

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...

, annual or perennial, climbing

s. Their

leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

are simple, dentate and usually palmately lobed.

Inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are forme ...

s grow on axillary

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

s, with the

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s normally clustered, occasionally solitary. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

is fleshy, usually globose or ellipsoidal, and indehiscent. The seeds are obovate, compressed and smooth.

Selected species

* ''

Zehneria alba ''Zehneria alba'' is a species of flowering plant in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the northeastern Indian Ocean. The specific epithet is from the Latin ''albus'' (wh ...

'' Ridl. * ''

Zehneria baueriana ''Zehneria baueriana'', commonly known as the native cucumber or giant cucumber, is a species of flowering plant – a vine in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It is found on Norfolk Island, an Australian territory in the Tasman Sea ...

'' Endl. * ''

Zehneria bodinieri ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' (H. Lév.) W. J. de Wilde & Duyfjes * ''

Zehneria brevirostris ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' W. J. de Wilde & Duyfjes * ''

Zehneria capillacea ''Zehneria capillacea'' is a herbaceous climbing herb of the Cucurbitaceae family native to many countries in West and Central Africa. Description The plant is a slender climbing herb that can grow up to . The leaf outline is triangular with a ...

'' (Schumacher & Thonning) Jeffrey * ''

Zehneria cunninghamii ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' F.Muell. * ''

Zehneria ejecta ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' F. M. Bailey * ''

Zehneria hermaphrodita ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' W. J. de Wilde & Duyfjes * ''

Zehneria indica ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' (Lour.) Keraudren * ''

Zehneria japonica ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' (Thunb.) H. Y. Liu * ''

Zehneria marginata ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' (Blume) Keraudren * ''

Zehneria marlothii ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family (biology), family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours Bota ...

'' (Cogn.) R. Fern. & A. Fern. * '' Zehneria maysorensis'' Wight. & Arn. * ''

Zehneria microsperma ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' Hook. f. * '' Zehneria minutiflora'' (Cogn.) C. Jeffrey * ''

Zehneria mucronata ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jose ...

'' (Blume) Miq. * ''

Zehneria repanda ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' (Blume) Simmons * ''

Zehneria scabra ''Zehneria scabra'' is a Perennial plant, perennial climbing or trailing herb that belong to the family Cucurbitaceae. Morphology The herb can climb up to long. The older parts of the stems are woody with corky-ridged bark. Its leaves are tria ...

'' (L.f.) Sond. * ''

Zehneria scabrella ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jose ...

'' F. Muell. * ''

Zehneria sphaerosperma ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family (biology), family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours Bota ...

'' W. J. de Wilde & Duyfjes * '' Zehneria tenuispica'' W. J. de Wilde & Duyfjes * ''

Zehneria thwaitesii ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family (biology), family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours Bota ...

'' (Schweinf.) C. Jeffrey * ''

Zehneria wallichii ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' (C. B. Clarke) C. Jeffrey

Gallery

File:TimunTikus.jpg, Zehneria grown in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

File:BuahTimunTikus.jpg, Close-up of a Zehneria fruit File:TimunTikusTua.jpg, Matured Zehneria is black in color

References

Notes

Sources

* * * Cucurbitaceae genera {{Cucurbitales-stub