Editing Cucumber

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant that produces cucumbers}}
{{other uses}}
{{pp-move}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Cucumber
|image = ARS_cucumber.jpg
|image_caption = Cucumbers growing on vines
|image_alt = Photograph of cucumber vine with fruits, flowers and leaves visible
|image2 = Cucumber BNC.jpg
|image2_caption = A single cucumber fruit
|genus = Cucumis
|species = sativus
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
}}

The '''cucumber''' ('''''Cucumis sativus''''') is a widely-cultivated [[Vine#Horticultural climbing plants|creeping vine]] plant in the family [[Cucurbitaceae]] that bears cylindrical to spherical [[fruit]]s, which are used as [[culinary vegetable]]s.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica">"[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/145850/cucumber Cucumber]." ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. [1998] 2019.</ref> Considered an annual plant,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Silvertown |first1=Jonathan |title=Survival, Fecundity and Growth of Wild Cucumber, Echinocystis Lobata |journal=Journal of Ecology |date=1985 |volume=73 |issue=3 |pages=841–849 |doi=10.2307/2260151|jstor=2260151 |bibcode=1985JEcol..73..841S }}</ref> there are three main types of cucumber—slicing, [[Pickled cucumber|pickling]], and [[Seedless fruit|seedless]]—within which several [[cultivar]]s have been created. The cucumber originates in [[Asia]] extending from [[India]], [[Nepal]], [[Bangladesh]], [[China]] ([[Yunnan]], [[Guizhou]], [[Guangxi]]), and [[Northern Thailand]],<ref name="nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com">{{cite journal |last1=Chomicki |first1=Guillaume |last2=Schaefer |first2=Hanno |last3=Renner |first3=Susanne S. |title=Origin and domestication of Cucurbitaceae crops: insights from phylogenies, genomics and archaeology |url=https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.16015 |journal=New Phytologist |pages=1240–1255 |language=en |doi=10.1111/nph.16015 |date=June 2020|volume=226 |issue=5 |pmid=31230355 |bibcode=2020NewPh.226.1240C }}</ref><ref name="Plant Breeding Reviews">{{cite book |last1=Weng |first1=Yiqun |chapter=Cucumis sativus Chromosome Evolution, Domestication, and Genetic Diversity: Implications for Cucumber Breeding |title=Plant Breeding Reviews |date=7 January 2021 |pages=79–111 |doi=10.1002/9781119717003.ch4 |chapter-url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781119717003.ch4 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-119-71700-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=powo>{{cite web |title=''Cucumis sativus'' L. |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:292296-1|access-date=23 February 2023}}</ref><ref name="tandfonline.com">{{cite journal |last1=Bisht |first1=I. S. |last2=Bhat |first2=K.V. |last3=Tanwar |first3=S. P. S. |last4=Bhandari |first4=D. C. |last5=Joshi |first5=Kamal |last6=Sharma |first6=A. K. |title=Distribution and genetic diversity of Cucumis sativus var. hardwickii (Royle) Alef in India |journal=The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology |date=January 2004 |volume=79 |issue=5 |pages=783–791 |doi=10.1080/14620316.2004.11511843 |bibcode=2004JHSB...79..783B |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14620316.2004.11511843 |language=en |issn=1462-0316|url-access=subscription }}</ref> but now grows on most [[continent]]s, and many different types of cucumber are grown commercially and traded on the [[global market]]. In [[North America]], the term ''[[wild cucumber]]'' refers to plants in the [[Genus|genera]] ''[[Echinocystis]]'' and ''[[Marah (plant)|Marah]]'', though the two are not closely related.

== Description ==
The cucumber is a [[Vine#Horticultural climbing plants|creeping vine]] that roots in the ground and grows up [[Trellis (agriculture)|trellises]] or other supporting frames, wrapping around supports with thin, spiraling [[tendrils]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P43fDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA89|title=''Cucumis sativus'', Cucumber; Chapter 16 in: Unconventional Oilseeds and Oil Sources|last1=Mariod|first1=Abdalbasit Adam|last2=Mirghani|first2=Mohamed Elwathig Saeed|last3=Hussein|first3=Ismail Hassan|date=2017-04-14|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=9780128134337}}</ref> The plant may also root in a [[Soilless gardening|soilless medium]], whereby it will sprawl along the ground in lieu of a supporting structure. The vine has large leaves that form a [[Canopy (biology)|canopy]] over the fruits.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

The fruit of typical cultivars of cucumber is roughly [[cylinder (geometry)|cylindrical]], but elongated with tapered ends, and may be as large as {{convert|62|cm|in|sp=us}} long and {{convert|10|cm|in|sp=us|0}} in diameter.<ref name="ZhangLi2019">{{cite journal|last1=Zhang|first1=Tingting|last2=Li|first2=Xvzhen|last3=Yang|first3=Yuting|last4=Guo|first4=Xiao|last5=Feng|first5=Qin|last6=Dong|first6=Xiangyu|last7=Chen|first7=Shuxia|title=Genetic analysis and QTL mapping of fruit length and diameter in a cucumber (''Cucumber sativus'' L.) recombinant inbred line (RIL) population|journal=Scientia Horticulturae|volume=250|year=2019|pages=214–222|doi=10.1016/j.scienta.2019.01.062|bibcode=2019ScHor.250..214Z |s2cid=92837522}}</ref>

Cucumber fruits consist of 95% water (see nutrition table). In [[Botany|botanical]] terms, the cucumber is classified as a [[pepo (botany)|''pepo'']], a type of [[Berry (botany)|botanical berry]] with a hard outer rind and no internal divisions. However, much like [[tomato]]es and [[Cucurbita|squashes]], it is often perceived, prepared, and eaten as a [[vegetable]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://fruitorvegetable.science/cucumber | title = Cucumber | website = Fruit or Vegetable? | access-date=2019-12-05 }}</ref>

=== Flowering and pollination ===
[[File:Cucumis sativus 0002.JPG|thumb|left|150px|''Cucumis sativus'' flower]]

{{Infobox genome
| image = <!-- Karyotype, for instance -->
| caption =
| taxId = 1639
| ploidy = diploid
| chromosomes = <!-- number of pairs -->
| size = 323.99 Mb
| year =
| organelle = mitochondrion
| organelle-size = 244.82 Mb
| organelle-year = 2011
}}

Most cucumber cultivars are seeded and require pollination. For this purpose, thousands of [[Honey bee|honey]] [[beehive]]s are annually carried to cucumber fields just before bloom. Cucumbers may also be pollinated via [[bumblebee]]s and several other bee species. Most cucumbers that require pollination are [[Self incompatibility in plants|self-incompatible]], thus requiring the [[pollen]] of another plant in order to form [[seed]]s and fruit.<ref name="Nonnecke">{{cite book |author=Nonnecke, I.L. |year=1989  |title=Vegetable Production |publisher=Springer  |isbn=9780442267216 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H7i8QJw8BJsC }}</ref> Some self-compatible cultivars exist that are related to the 'Lemon cucumber' cultivar.<ref name="Nonnecke" />

A few [[cultivar]]s of cucumber are [[Parthenocarpy|parthenocarpic]], the [[blossom]]s of which create [[seedless fruit]] without [[pollination]], which degrades the eating quality of these cultivar. In the [[Agriculture in the United States|United States]], these are usually grown in [[greenhouse]]s, where [[bee]]s are excluded. In [[Europe]], they are grown outdoors in some regions, where bees are likewise excluded.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Traditional cultivars produce male blossoms first, then female, in about equivalent numbers. Newer [[gynoecious]] hybrid cultivars produce almost all female blossoms. They may have a [[pollenizer]] cultivar interplanted, and the number of beehives per unit area is increased, but temperature changes induce male flowers even on these plants, which may be sufficient for pollination to occur.<ref name="Nonnecke" />

In 2009, an international team of researchers announced they had sequenced the cucumber [[genome]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Huang|first1=S.|last2=Li|first2=R.|last3=Zhang|first3=Z.|last4=Li|first4=L.|last5=Gu|first5=X.|last6=Fan|first6=W.|last7=Lucas|first7=W.|last8=Wang|first8=X.|last9=Xie|first9=B.|last10=Ni|first10=P.|last11=Ren|first11=Y.|display-authors=4|year=2009|title=The genome of the cucumber, ''Cucumis sativus'' L|journal=Nature Genetics|volume=41|issue=12|pages=1275–81|doi=10.1038/ng.475|pmid=19881527|doi-access=free|first28=J.|first26=G.|last27=Lu|first27=Y.|last28=Ruan|first12=H.|last29=Qian|first29=W.|last30=Wang|first30=M.|first25=Y.|last26=Tian|last25=Ren|last13=Li|first18=J.|first13=J.|last14=Lin|first14=K.|last15=Jin|first15=W.|last16=Fei|first16=Z.|last17=Li|first17=G.|last18=Staub|last12=Zhu|first24=Z.|first19=A.|last20=Van Der Vossen|first20=E. A. G.|last21=Wu|first21=Y.|last22=Guo|first22=J.|last23=He|first23=J.|last24=Jia|last19=Kilian}}</ref>

A study of [[genetic recombination]] during [[meiosis]] in cucumber provided a high resolution landscape of meiotic [[DNA damage (naturally occurring)|DNA double strand-breaks]] and [[chromosomal crossover|genetic crossovers]].<ref name = Wang2023>{{cite journal |vauthors=Wang Y, Dong Z, Ma Y, Zheng Y, Huang S, Yang X |title=Comprehensive dissection of meiotic DNA double-strand breaks and crossovers in cucumber |journal=Plant Physiol |volume=193 |issue=3 |pages=1913–1932 |date=October 2023 |pmid=37530486 |pmc=10602612 |doi=10.1093/plphys/kiad432 |url=}}</ref>  The average number of crossovers per chromosome per meiosis was 0.92 to 0.99.<ref name = Wang2023/>

===Herbivore defense===
[[Phytochemical]]s in cucumbers may discourage natural [[foraging]] by [[herbivore]]s, such as insects, [[nematode]]s or [[wildlife]].<ref name="shang">{{cite journal |display-authors=3| vauthors = Shang Y, Ma Y, Zhou Y, Zhang H, Duan L, Chen H, Zeng J, Zhou Q, Wang S, Gu W, Liu M, Ren J, Gu X, Zhang S, Wang Y, Yasukawa K, Bouwmeester HJ, Qi X, Zhang Z, Lucas WJ, Huang S | title = Plant science. Biosynthesis, regulation, and domestication of bitterness in cucumber | journal = Science | volume = 346 | issue = 6213 | pages = 1084–8 | date = November 2014 | pmid = 25430763 | doi = 10.1126/science.1259215 | bibcode = 2014Sci...346.1084S | s2cid = 206561241 }}</ref> As a possible defense mechanism, cucumbers produce [[Cucurbitacin|cucurbitacin C]],<ref name=":0a">{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Zhiqiang |last2=Li |first2=Yawen |last3=Cao |first3=Chunyu |last4=Liang |first4=Shan |last5=Ma |first5=Yongshuo |last6=Liu |first6=Xin |last7=Pei |first7=Yanxi |title=The role of H2S in low temperature-induced cucurbitacin C increases in cucumber |journal=Plant Molecular Biology |date=February 2019 |volume=99 |issue=6 |pages=535–544 |doi=10.1007/s11103-019-00834-w |pmid=30707394 |bibcode=2019PMolB..99..535L |s2cid=73431225}}</ref> which causes a [[bitter (taste)|bitter taste]] in some cucumber varieties. This potential mechanism is under preliminary research to identify whether cucumbers are able to deter herbivores and [[Biotic stress#Effect on plant growth|environmental stresses]] by using an intrinsic [[Chemical defense#Plants|chemical defense]], particularly in the leaves, [[cotyledon]]s, [[Pedicel (botany)|pedicel]], [[Caropodium|carpopodium]], and fruit.<ref name=":0a" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=He |first=Jun |title=Terpene Synthases in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and Their Contribution to Herbivore-induced Volatile Terpenoid Emission |journal=New Phytologist |year=2022 |volume=233 |issue=2 |pages=862–877|doi=10.1111/nph.17814 |pmid=34668204 |pmc=9299122 |bibcode=2022NewPh.233..862H |hdl=11245.1/e4b87361-6747-409a-a897-0e3939f560c0 |s2cid=239035917 }}</ref>

== Nutrition, aroma, and taste ==
{{nutritional value | name=Cucumber, with peel, raw
| water=95.23 g
| kJ=65
| protein=0.65 g
| fat=0.11 g
| carbs=3.63 g
| fiber=0.5 g
| sugars=1.67
| calcium_mg=16
| iron_mg=0.28
| magnesium_mg=13
| phosphorus_mg=24
| potassium_mg=147
| sodium_mg=2
| zinc_mg=0.2
| manganese_mg=0.079
| vitC_mg=2.8
| thiamin_mg=0.027
| riboflavin_mg=0.033
| niacin_mg=0.098
| pantothenic_mg=0.259
| vitB6_mg=0.04
| folate_ug=7
| vitK_ug=16.4
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168409/nutrients Link to USDA database entry]
}}

Raw cucumber (with [[Peel (fruit)|peel]]) is 95% water, 4% [[carbohydrate]]s, 1% [[protein]], and contains negligible [[fat]]. A {{convert|100|g|oz|abbr=off|adj=on|frac=2}} [[Serving size|reference serving]] provides {{convert|65|kJ|kcal|abbr=off}} of [[food energy]]. It has a low content of [[micronutrient]]s: it is notable only for [[vitamin K]], at 14% of the [[Daily Value]] (table).

Depending on variety, cucumbers may have a mild [[melon]] aroma and flavor, in part resulting from unsaturated [[aldehyde]]s, such as {{nowrap|[[Trans,cis-2,6-nonadienal|(E,Z)-nona-2,6-dienal]]}}, and the [[Cis–trans isomerism|''cis''- and ''trans''-]] [[isomer]]s of [[2-Nonenal|2-nonenal]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schieberle|first1=P.|last2=Ofner|first2=S.|last3=Grosch|first3=W.|year=1990|title=Evaluation of Potent Odorants in Cucumbers (''Cucumis sativus'') and Muskmelons (''Cucumis melo'') by Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis|journal=Journal of Food Science|volume=55|pages=193–195|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2621.1990.tb06050.x}}</ref> The slightly [[bitter (taste)|bitter]] taste of cucumber rind results from [[cucurbitacins]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shang|first1=Y|last2=Ma|first2=Y|last3=Zhou|first3=Y|last4=Zhang|first4=H|last5=Duan|first5=L|last6=Chen|first6=H|last7=Zeng|first7=J|last8=Zhou|first8=Q|last9=Wang|first9=S|last10=Gu|first10=W|last11=Liu|first11=M|year=2014|title=Plant science. Biosynthesis, regulation, and domestication of bitterness in cucumber|journal=Science|volume=346|issue=6213|pages=1084–8|doi=10.1126/science.1259215|pmid=25430763|last12=Ren|first17=H. J.|last21=Huang|first20=W. J.|last20=Lucas|first19=Z|last19=Zhang|first18=X|last18=Qi|last17=Bouwmeester|first12=J|first16=K|last16=Yasukawa|first15=Y|last15=Wang|first14=S|last14=Zhang|first13=X|last13=Gu|first21=S|bibcode=2014Sci...346.1084S|s2cid=206561241}}</ref>

Research from 2018 found that [[polyphenol]] content was higher in unpeeled cucumbers.<ref>Yunusa, Alkasim & Dandago, Munir Abba & Ibrahim, Sa’adatu & Abdullahi, Nura & Tsoho, Adamu Usman & Barde, Aminu. (2018). Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Different Parts of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Acta Universitatis Cibiniensis. Series E: Food Technology. 22. 13-20. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330477179_Total_Phenolic_Content_and_Antioxidant_Capacity_of_Different_Parts_of_Cucumber_Cucumis_sativus_L 10.2478/aucft-2018-0008.]</ref>

== Varieties ==
{{See also|List of cucumber varieties}}
[[File:Cucumbers_3_Sikkim_Armenian_Lemon.png|thumb|Three kinds of cucumbers]]
In general [[Agriculture|cultivation]], cucumbers are classified into three main [[cultivar]] groups: slicing, [[Pickled cucumber|pickling]], and [[Seedless fruit|seedless/burpless]].

== Culinary uses ==
{{Cookbook|Cucumber}}

=== Fruit ===
==== Slicing ====
Cucumbers grown to eat fresh are called ''slicing cucumbers''. The main varieties of slicers mature on [[vine]]s with large leaves that provide shading.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanac.com/plant/cucumbers|title=Cucumbers: Planting, growing, and harvesting cucumbers|publisher=Old Farmer's Almanac, Yankee Publishing, Inc., Dublin, NH|date=2016|access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref>

Slicers grown commercially for the North American market are generally longer, smoother, more uniform in color, and have much tougher skin. In contrast, those in other countries, often called [[European cucumber]]s, are smaller and have thinner, more delicate skin, often with fewer seeds, thus are often sold in plastic skin for protection. This variety may also be called a ''telegraph cucumber'', particularly in [[Australasia]].<ref>[http://www.5aday.co.nz/facts-and-tips/fruit-vegetable-info/cucumber/ Cucumber – 5+ a day, New Zealand] Retrieved 18 May 2018</ref>

==== Pickling ====
{{Main|Pickled cucumber}}
[[File:Cucumbers on skewers - Enoshima, Japan - DSC07614.jpg|thumb|Japanese ''[[asazuke]]'' pickled cucumbers sold as [[street food]] on [[Enoshima]] island]]
[[Pickled cucumber|Pickling]] with [[Pickled cucumber#Brined pickles|brine]], sugar, [[vinegar]], and spices creates various flavored products from cucumbers and other foods.<ref name="avi">{{cite web|author1=Avi, Torey|title=History in a jar: The story of pickles|url=http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-pickles/|publisher=Public Broadcasting Service|access-date=13 November 2017|date=3 September 2014}}</ref> Although any cucumber can be pickled, commercial pickles are made from cucumbers specially bred for uniformity of length-to-diameter ratio and lack of voids in the flesh. Those cucumbers intended for pickling, called ''picklers'', grow to about {{convert|7|to|10|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} long and {{convert|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} wide. Compared to slicers, picklers tend to be shorter, thicker, less-regularly shaped, and have bumpy skin with tiny white or black-dotted spines. Color can vary from creamy yellow to pale or dark green.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

==== Gherkin ====
[[Pickled cucumber#Gherkin|Gherkins]], also called ''cornichons'',<ref name="kitchn">{{cite web|title=What's The Deal With Cornichons?|work=Kitchn |url=http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-with-cornichons-117240|publisher=The Kitchn|access-date=13 November 2017|date=2017}}</ref> or ''baby pickles'', are small cucumbers, typically those {{convert|1|to|5|in|cm|round=0.5|order=flip}} in length, often with bumpy skin, which are typically used for pickling.<ref name="zon">{{cite web|title=Gherkins|url=http://www.royalzon.com/en/consumer/fruit-vegetables/gherkins|publisher=Zon|access-date=13 November 2017|location=Venlo, Netherlands|date=2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114040538/http://www.royalzon.com/en/consumer/fruit-vegetables/gherkins|archive-date=14 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="wifss">{{cite web|title=Cucumbers|url=http://www.wifss.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/FDA_WIFSS_-Cucumbers_PDF.pdf|publisher=Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, US Department of Agriculture|access-date=13 November 2017|location=University of California-Davis|date=May 2016}}</ref><ref name="india">{{cite web|title=Cucumbers and gherkins|url=http://apeda.gov.in/apedawebsite/SubHead_Products/Cucumber_and_Gherkins.htm|publisher=Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, Government of India|access-date=13 November 2017|date=2015}}</ref> The word ''gherkin'' comes from the early modern [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''gurken'' or ''augurken'' ('small pickled cucumber').<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=Word origin and history for gherkin|url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gherkin|dictionary=Dictionary.com|access-date=13 November 2017|date=2017}}</ref> The term is also used in the name for ''[[Cucumis anguria]]'', the ''West Indian gherkin'', a closely related species.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Indian gherkin, ''Cucumis anguria'' L.|url=http://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cucumis+anguria|publisher=Plants for a Future|access-date=13 November 2017|date=2012}}</ref>

==== Burpless ====
Burpless cucumbers are sweeter and have a thinner skin than other varieties of cucumber. They are reputed to be easy to digest and to have a pleasant taste. They can grow as long as {{convert|2|ft|cm|sp=us|order=flip|-1}}, are nearly seedless, and have a delicate skin. Most commonly grown in greenhouses, these [[parthenocarpic]] cucumbers are often found in [[Grocery store|grocery markets]], [[Shrink wrap|shrink-wrapped]] in plastic. They are marketed as either burpless or seedless, as the seeds and skin of other varieties of cucumbers are said to give some people gas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jordan-Reilly|first=Melissa|title=Why do cucumbers upset my digestion?|url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/471722-why-do-cucumbers-upset-my-digestion/|publisher=LiveStrong.com|date=15 September 2013 }}</ref>

=== Shoots === 
Cucumber [[Shoot (botany)|shoots]] are regularly consumed as a vegetable, especially in rural areas. In Thailand they are often served with a crab meat sauce. They can also be stir fried or used in soups.<ref name= "Cook's Guide" >{{cite book |last1=Hutton |first1=Wendy |title=A Cook's Guide to Asian Vegetables |date=2004 |publisher=Periplus Editions |location=Singapore |isbn=0794600786 |pages=42–43}}</ref>

==Production==
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="clear:right; width:13em; text-align:center; margin-right:1em;"
|-
! colspan=2|Cucumber production – 2022
|-
!  style="background:#ddf;"| Country
!  style="background:#ddf;"| {{small|millions<br /> of [[tonne]]s}}
|-
| {{CHN}} || 77.3
|-
| {{TUR}} || 1.9
|-
| {{RUS}} || 1.6
|-
| {{MEX}} || 1.1
|-
| '''World''' || '''94.7'''
|-
|colspan=2|<small>Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the [[United Nations]]</small><ref name="faostat">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|title= Cucumber and gherkin production in 2022, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2024|publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)|access-date=10 June 2024}}</ref>
|}

In 2022, world production of cucumbers and gherkins was 95 million [[tonne]]s, led by China with 82% of the total.<ref name=faostat/>

== Cultivation history ==
Cultivated for at least 3,000 years, the cultivated cucumbers ''"Cucumis sativus"'' were domesticated in [[India]] from wild "''C. sativus var. hardwickii''".<ref name="nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"/><ref name="Plant Breeding Reviews"/><ref name="tandfonline.com"/> where a great many varieties have been observed, along with its closest living relative, ''[[Cucumis hystrix]]''.<ref>[[Asian News International]]. 21 July 2010. "[http://newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/170033 Cucumber, melon's common ancestor originated in Asia]." ''NewsTrack India.'' Retrieved on 4 June 2020.</ref> The three main cultivar groups of cucumber are Eurasian cucumbers (slicing cucumbers eaten raw and immature), East Asian cucumbers (pickling cucumbers), and Xishuangbanna cucumbers. Based on demographic modelling, the East Asian C. sativus cultivars diverged from the Indian cultivars about 2,500 years ago.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chomicki |first1=Guillaume |last2=Schaefer |first2=Hanno |last3=Renner |first3=Susanne S. |title=Origin and domestication of Cucurbitaceae crops: insights from phylogenies, genomics and archaeology |journal=New Phytologist |date=June 2020 |volume=226 |issue=5 |pages=1240–1255 |doi=10.1111/nph.16015 |language=en |issn=0028-646X|doi-access=free |pmid=31230355 |bibcode=2020NewPh.226.1240C }}</ref> It was probably introduced to Europe by the [[Agriculture in ancient Greece|Greeks]] or [[Agriculture in ancient Rome|Romans]]. Records of cucumber cultivation appear in [[France]] in the 9th century, [[Agriculture in England|England]] in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica" /><ref name="Renner 2007">{{cite journal|last1=Renner|first1=SS|last2=Schaefer|first2=H|last3=Kocyan|first3=A|year=2007|title=Phylogenetics of ''Cucumis'' (Cucurbitaceae): Cucumber (''C. sativus'') belongs in an Asian/Australian clade far from melon (''C. melo'')|journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology|volume=7|issue=1 |page=58|doi=10.1186/1471-2148-7-58|pmc=3225884|pmid=17425784 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2007BMCEE...7...58R }}
</ref><ref name="Doijode">Doijode, S. D. 2001. ''Seed storage of horticultural crops''. [[Haworth Press]]. {{ISBN|1-56022-901-2}}. p. 281.</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.21273/HORTSCI.41.3.571|title=Taxonomic Relationships of A Rare ''Cucumis'' Species (''C. hystrix'' Chakr.) and Its Interspecific Hybrid with Cucumber|year=2006|last1=Zhuang|first1=Fei-Yun|last2=Chen|first2=Jin-Feng|last3=Staub|first3=Jack E.|last4=Qian|first4=Chun-Tao|journal=HortScience|volume=41|issue=3|pages=571–574|doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Roman Empire ===
According to [[Pliny the Elder]], the Emperor [[Tiberius]] had the cucumber on his table daily during summer and winter. In order to have it available for his table every day of the year, the Romans reportedly used artificial growing methods (similar to the [[Greenhouse|greenhouse system]]) using ''mirrorstone'', Pliny's ''lapis specularis'', believed to have been sheet [[mica]]:<ref name="AncientInventions">{{cite book|author1=James, Peter J. |author2=Thorpe, Nick |author3=Thorpe, I. J. |title=Ancient Inventions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VmJLd3sSYecC|year=1995|publisher=Ballantine Books|isbn=978-0-345-40102-1|chapter=Ch. 12, Sport and Leusure: Roman Gardening Technology|page=563}}</ref><ref>[[Pliny the Elder]]. [77–79 AD] 1855. "[http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=LatinAugust2012&getid=1&query=Plin.%20Nat.%2019.23 Vegetables of a Cartilaginous Nature—Cucumbers. Pepones] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605044058/http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=LatinAugust2012&getid=1&query=Plin.%20Nat.%2019.23 |date=5 June 2020 }}." Ch. 23 in ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|The Natural History]]'' XIX, translated by [[John Bostock (physician)|J. Bostock]] and [[Henry Thomas Riley|H. T. Riley]]. London: [[Taylor & Francis]]. – via ''Perseus under PhiloLogic'', also [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D19%3Achapter%3D23 available] via Perseus Project.</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=Indeed, he was never without it; for he had raised beds made in frames upon wheels, by means of which the cucumbers were moved and exposed to the full heat of the sun; while, in winter, they were withdrawn, and placed under the protection of frames glazed with mirrorstone.|author=Pliny the Elder|title=''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' XIX.xxiii|source="Vegetables of a Cartilaginous Nature—Cucumbers. Pepones"}}

Reportedly, they were also cultivated in ''specularia'', cucumber houses glazed with oiled cloth.<ref name="AncientInventions" /> Pliny describes the Italian fruit as very small, probably like a [[gherkin]]. He also describes the preparation of a medication known as ''elaterium''. However, some scholars{{who|date=February 2013}} believe that he was instead referring to ''[[Ecballium elaterium]]'', known in pre-[[Linnean nomenclature|Linnean]] times as ''Cucumis silvestris'' or ''Cucumis asininus'' ('wild cucumber' or 'donkey cucumber'), a species different from the common cucumber.<ref>[[Pliny the Elder]], ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' XX.[http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=LatinAugust2012&getid=1&query=Plin.%20Nat.%2020.3 iii] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605043843/http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=LatinAugust2012&getid=1&query=Plin.%20Nat.%2020.3 |date=5 June 2020 }}.</ref> Pliny also writes about several other varieties of cucumber, including the cultivated cucumber,<ref>[[Pliny the Elder]], ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' XX.[http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=LatinAugust2012&getid=1&query=Plin.%20Nat.%2020.4 iv] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605043845/http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=LatinAugust2012&getid=1&query=Plin.%20Nat.%2020.4 |date=5 June 2020 }}–[http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=LatinAugust2012&getid=1&query=Plin.%20Nat.%2020.5 v] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605043846/http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=LatinAugust2012&getid=1&query=Plin.%20Nat.%2020.5 |date=5 June 2020 }}.</ref> and remedies from the different types (9 from the cultivated; 5 from the "anguine;" and 26 from the "wild").

=== Middle Ages ===
[[Charlemagne]] had cucumbers grown in his gardens in the 8th/9th century. They were reportedly introduced into England in the early 14th century, lost, then reintroduced approximately 250 years later. The [[Spaniards]] (through the [[Italian people|Italian]] [[Christopher Columbus]]) brought cucumbers to [[Haiti]] in 1494. In 1535, [[Jacques Cartier]], a French explorer, found "very great cucumbers" grown on the site of what is now [[Montreal]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~bcohen/cucumbers/history.html|title=''A Brief History of Cucumbers'', From Producing Vegetable Crops by Swiader et al; and A History of Horticulture in America to 1860 by U.P. Hedrick.| website = B's Cucumber Pages|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001163816/http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~bcohen/cucumbers/history.html |archive-date=1 October 2007 }}</ref>

=== Early-modern age ===
[[File:Trans-2,cis-6-Nonadienal.png|thumb|class=skin-invert-image|[[Trans,cis-2,6-Nonadienal]], or ''cucumber aldehyde'', is a component of the distinctive aroma of cucumbers.|alt=trans,cis-2,6-Nonadienal, or cucumber aldehyde|250px]]
Throughout the 16th century, European trappers, traders, [[bison]] hunters, and explorers bartered for the products of American Indian [[agriculture]]. The tribes of the [[Great Plains]] and the [[Rocky Mountains]] learned from the Spanish how to grow European crops. The farmers on the Great Plains included the [[Mandan]] and [[Abenaki]]. They obtained cucumbers and [[watermelon]]s from the Spanish, and added them to the crops they were already growing, including several varieties of [[Maize|corn]] and [[bean]]s, [[pumpkin]]s, [[Squash (fruit)|squash]], and [[gourd]] plants.<ref>{{cite book|title=Taste, Memory: Forgotten Foods, Lost Flavors, and why They Matter|pages=109|last=Buchanan|first=David|publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing|location=VT, USA|isbn=9781603584401|year=2012}}</ref> The [[Iroquois]] were also growing them when the first Europeans visited them.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kuhnlein |first1=H. V. |author-link=Harriet V. Kuhnlein |title=Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, Botany and Use |last2=Turner |first2=N. J. |publisher=Gordon and Breach |year=1996 |isbn=9782881244650 |location=Amsterdam, Netherlands |pages=159}}</ref>

In 1630, the Reverend [[Francis Higginson]] produced a book called ''New-Englands Plantation'' in which, describing a garden on Conant's Island in [[Boston Harbor]] known as ''The Governor's Garden'', he states:<ref>[[Francis Higginson|Higginson, Francis]]. [1630] 1906. ''[[iarchive:newenglandsplant00higgrich/|New-Englands Plantation]]''. Salem, MA: Essex Book and Print Club. {{OCLC|1049892552}}. [https://archive.org/details/newenglandsplant00higgrich/page/24/mode/2up?q=turnips p. 5].</ref><blockquote>The countrie aboundeth naturally with store of roots of great {{Sic|varietie}} and good to eat. Our turnips, parsnips, and carrots are here both bigger and sweeter than is ordinary to be found in England. Here are store of pompions, cowcumbers, and other things of that nature which I know not...</blockquote>In ''New England Prospect'' (1633, England), William Wood published observations he made in 1629 in America:<ref>Wood, William. (1634). "[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/47082/47082-h/47082-h.htm#Page_13 Of the Hearbes, Fruites, Woods, Waters and Mineralls]", pp. 13–18 in ''New England Prospect''. London.</ref><blockquote>{{Sic|The ground affords very good kitchin gardens, for Turneps, Parsnips, Carrots, Radishes, and Pompions, Muskmillons, Isquoter-squashes, coucumbars, Onyons, and whatever grows well in England grows as well there, many things being better and larger.}}</blockquote>

===Age of Enlightenment and later===

[[File:Lobster, Crab, and a Cucumber - 1891P32.jpg|thumb|''Lobster, Crab, and a Cucumber'' by [[William Henry Hunt (painter)|William Henry Hunt]] (watercolour, 1826 or 1827)]]

In the later 17th century, a prejudice developed against uncooked vegetables and fruits. A number of articles in contemporary health publications stated that uncooked plants brought on summer diseases and should be forbidden to children. The cucumber kept this reputation for an inordinate period of time, "fit only for consumption by cows," which some believe is why it gained the name, ''cowcumber''.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

[[Samuel Pepys]] wrote in his diary on 22 August 1663:<ref>[http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1663/08/22/ Saturday 22 August 1663 (Pepys' Diary)]. Pepysdiary.com. Retrieved on 25 November 2012.</ref><blockquote>[T]his day Sir W. Batten tells me that Mr. Newburne is dead of eating cowcumbers, of which the other day I heard of another, I think.</blockquote>

John Evelyn in 1699 wrote that the cucumber, 'however dress'd, was thought fit to be thrown away, being accounted little better than poyson (poison)'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Evelyn |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CiXbAAAAMAAJ |title=Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets |date=1699 |publisher=Prospect Books |isbn=978-0-907325-12-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Jan |title=Pickles: A Global History (Edible) |date=2018-07-15 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=9781780239194}}</ref>

According to 18th-century British writer [[Samuel Johnson]], it was commonly said among English physicians that a cucumber "should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Boswell |first1=James |title=The Life of Samuel Johnson: Including A Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, Volumen 1 |date=1832 |publisher=Carter, Hendee and Company |page=423 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fKAEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA423 |access-date=29 March 2024}}</ref>

A copper [[etching]] made by Maddalena Bouchard between 1772 and 1793 shows this plant to have smaller, almost bean-shaped fruits, and small yellow flowers. The small form of the cucumber is figured in [[Herbal]]s of the 16th century, however stating that "[i]f hung in a tube while in blossom, the Cucumber will grow to a most surprising length."{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Organic Gardener Holding a Fresh Salad Cucumber.jpg|Salad cucumber
File:An Indian yellow cucumber.jpg|An Indian yellow cucumber
File:Kurkkuja.jpg|A Scandinavian cucumber in slices
File:Cucumber grated.jpg|Grated cucumber
File:Komkommer (Cucumis sativus 'Gele Tros').jpg|Komkommer (''Cucumis sativus'' 'Gele Tros')
File:Hmong cucumber.jpg|A varietal grown by the [[Hmong people]] with textured skin and large seeds
File:Lemon cucumber J1.JPG|Lemon cucumber
File:Mizeria.jpg|Dish with cucumber cut pieces ([[mizeria]])
File:PicklingCucumbers.jpg|Pickling cucumbers
File:Spreewaldgurke2.jpg|Gherkins
File:Persiancucumber.jpg|[[Isfahan]] burpless cucumber, [[Iran]]
File:Leaves of Cucumber (a creeping vine plant).jpg|Leaves
File:Cucumber vine in New Jersey.jpg|A [[tendril]] emerges from cucumber vines to facilitate climbing
File:Cucumbers growing on a string lattice structure.jpg|A string [[Trellis (architecture)|lattice]] supports vine growth
File:Cucumber hanging on the vine.JPG|A [[bulb]]-shaped cucumber hanging on the [[vine]]
File:Cucumber plants.jpg|Cucumber plant
File:Harvested vegetables(Cucumbers).jpg|Harvested Cucumber among other vegetables 
File:Harvested vegetables(Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Aubergine) 2.jpg|Harvested cucumber among other vegetables
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Armenian cucumber]], a variety of [[Cucumis melo|melon]] that resembles a cucumber
* [[Cucumber blessing]]
* [[Cucumber cake]]
* [[Cucumber juice]]
* [[Cucumber raita]]
* [[Cucumber sandwich]]
* [[Cucumber soda]]
* [[Cucumber soup]]
* [[Sea cucumber]], named for its resemblance to the fruit
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|35em}}

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[[Category:Cucumber| ]]
[[Category:Fruit vegetables]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]