Crop Guide: Nutritional recommendations for Cucumber - Haifa-Group

1. General information
1.1 The origin of cucumbers
The cucumber most likely originated in India
(south foot of the Himalayas), or possibly
Burma, where the plant is extremely variable
both vegetatively and in fruit characters. It has
been in cultivation for at least 3000 years. From
India the plant spread quickly to China, and it
was reportedly much appreciated by the
ancient Greeks and Romans. The Romans used
highly artificial methods of growing the
cucumber when necessary to have it for the
Emperor Tiberius out of season.
Columbus brought the cucumber to the New
World, along with many other vegetables. He
had them planted in Haiti in 1494, and possibly
on other islands.
Most of the distinct types of cucumber grown today were known at least 400 years ago. Present
forms range from thick, stubby little fruits, three to four inches long, up to the great English
greenhouse varieties that often reach a length of nearly two feet.
1.2 Botanical taxonomy
The cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, one of the more important
plant families. The Cucurbitaceae consists of 90 genera and 750 species. The genus Cucumis
contains nearly 40 species including three important cultivated ones (i.e., C. anguria L. [West Indian
gherkin], C. sativus [cucumber], and C. melo L. [cantaloupe]).
Other important crop plants in the Cucurbitaceae family are watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad),
muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), squash and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L., C. mixta Pang., C. moschata
Poir., and C. maxima Duch.), and loofah gourd (Luffa cylindrical Roem.). Fig-leaf gourd (Cucurbita
ficifolia Bouche) is also cultivated to some extent, but it is even more important as a diseaseresistant
rootstock in the grafting of greenhouse cucumbers.
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Figure 1.1: Different shapes and colors of
several cucumber variety fruits