Floral Structural Characteristics of some Economic Cucurbits in Egypt

Abstract

Studies on the floral morphology of seven species and two cultivars belonging to five genera of Cucurbitaceae were carried out to determine the relationship between these taxa. The study was carried out on the flowers' morphological, Micro-morphological, and anatomical feature. The results showed that the flowers were either solitary as in Cucumis sativus or in raceme inflorescence as in male flower of Luffa aegyptiaca only. Anther shapes winding as in Cucumis melo cv. flexuosus, oblong as in C. moschata or crescent shaped as in L. aegyptiaca. Pollen grains were spherical in most of the studied taxa except C. melo cv. flexuosus which has an oblate shape. Epidermal cell walls in sepals and petals are straight or sinuate. Hairs unicellular as in C. sativus or multicellular as in C. pepo; branched as in C. moschata or un-branched e.g. L. siceraria. The anatomical flower pedicel showed that the pedicel in the cross-section is angled as in the male flower of L. siceraria, and rounded as in C. lanatus cv. colocynthis, polygonal circular e.g. C. lanatus, polygonal oval as in C. pepo, or oblique circular as in female flower of L. aegyptiaca. The number of vascular bundles in petiole varies from seven as in male flower petiole of L. siceraria to 42 vascular bundles as in male flower petiole of C. pepo.