Acanthosicyos
Encyclopedia
Acanthosicyos is a genus of thorny
shrub
s of the botanical
family Cucurbitaceae
, subfamily Cucurbitoideae
. The genus name derives from the Greek
words "akantha" for thorn and "sykios" for cucumber or gourd. Endemic to the Namib Desert
in Africa
, this genus is represented by two known species including Acanthosicyos horridus
, the nara melon, an important food plant in its native range.
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s of the botanical
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
family Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
The plant family Cucurbitaceae consists of various squashes, melons, and gourds, including crops such as cucumber, pumpkins, luffas, and watermelons...
, subfamily Cucurbitoideae
Cucurbitoideae
The Cucurbitoideae is a subfamily of the Cucurbitaceae, or gourd family, of flowering plants. The Cucurbitaceae are divided into two subfamilies, the Zanonioideae, probably a paraphyletic group of remainders, and the well-supported monophyletic Cucurbitoideae....
. The genus name derives from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
words "akantha" for thorn and "sykios" for cucumber or gourd. Endemic to the Namib Desert
Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means "vast place"...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, this genus is represented by two known species including Acanthosicyos horridus
Acanthosicyos horridus
Acanthosicyos horridus is an unusual melon that occurs only in Namibia; it is locally called !nara.The edible seeds are known locally as butterpips....
, the nara melon, an important food plant in its native range.