Compilation
Cucumis chrysocomus

Perennial climber to 6 m.; stems herbaceous, sparsely to densely shortly somewhat adpressed pubescent or puberulous. Leaf-blade ovate-cordate in outline, shallowly and remotely sinuate or subentire with small apiculate teeth in the sinuses, ± punctate above, densely pubescent to glabrous except for a few hairs on the nerves beneath, rounded to acute and apiculate and often ± acuminate, 35–128 mm. long, 28–92 mm. broad, unlobed or with 1 or 2 small triangular lateral lobes on each side; petiole ± densely hairy with forward-curving hairs, 8–65 mm. long. Probracts elliptic, hooded with incurved margins, ± 4 mm. long. Male flowers 5–6 with 1–2 ♀ flowers; pedicels 13–30 mm. long; bracts leaf-like, subsessile; receptacle-tube obconic, 4–6 mm. long; lobes triangular-lanceolate, acute, ± deflexed, entire or ± pinnately laciniate on the margins, each with 1 or 2 erect lobes inside, 2–4 mm. long; corolla yellow or orange-yellow, campanulate-urceolate with the lobes reflexed, ± 12 mm. long and 5 mm. broad, united in the lower third. Female flowers on 6–65 mm. long pedicels; ovary ellipsoid, 7–15 mm. long, 3–11 mm. across, densely bristly; receptacle-tube pale green, cylindrical below, expanded above, 2–4 mm. long; lobes triangular-lanceolate or lanceolate-subulate, 0.5–3 mm. long, undivided; corolla-lobes 10–18 mm. long, 4.5–7 mm. broad, united in lower half or third. Fruits 1–2, on 9–75 mm. long stalks, ellipsoid to subspherical, 30–53 mm. long, 12–36 mm. across, reddish and densely echinate with reddish-brown or reddish-yellow bristles. Seeds broadly and obliquely ovate in outline, biconvex, smooth, compressed, 6–7 × 4.5–6 × 2 mm. Fig. 7.