Cucumber
Crop Information
Overview
- by Todd C. Wehner
- Department of Horticultural Science
- North Carolina State University
- Raleigh, NC 27695-7609
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is thought to have
originated in India where it is found wild and is cultivated
in many diverse forms. Accessions of C. sativus var.
hardwickii may be more closely related to the original
ancestors of cucumber, and have been collected in the foothills
of the Himalaya Mountains. Secondary centers of diversity
for cucumber exist in China and the Near East. Cucumber
was probably domesticated in Asia, and then introduced into
Europe, where the first cultivars were selected in the 1700s.
Cucumbers were brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus,
and Native Americans were growing cucumbers from Florida
to Canada by the early 16th century. Related species are
Cucumis hystrix from China, and the African Cucumis
species, such as melon (Cucumis melo), gherkin
(Cucumis anguria), and their wild relatives. About
80% of the world production of cucumber is in Asia, with
China being the leading producer.
Most cultivars have long vines, and are grown flat on the
ground for pickling and slicing type cultivars, or on trellis
supports for Oriental and greenhouse types. Plants are normally
monoecious (separate staminate and pistillate flowers),
but most modern cultivars are gynoecious (female) hybrid
blends (12 to 15% of the seeds are a monoecious pollenizer).
Plants require various insects, especially bees, to effect
pollination. Cucumber is grown for its fruit, which are
eaten fresh or pickled, or fried (usually when fruit have
been harvested at a more mature stage). The fruit have a
high water content, and they provide some vitamin A and
C, especially when pickled with dill and other spices. Per
capita annual consumption of fresh cucumber is 3.1 kg and
processed cucumber 2.2 kg in the United States.
