Volatile Constituents of Cucumis sativus: Differences Between Five Tropical Cultivars

Abstract

Cucumis sativus L. (cucumber), a creeping plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, is widely cultivated for its fruit. It is a tender annual with a rough, succulent, trailing stem and hairy leaves with three to five pointed lobes; the stem bears branched tendrils by which the plant can be trained on supports. Depending on the cultivar, the fruits are available in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. They range from thick, stubby little fruits (10–12 cm long) to Dutch greenhouse varieties (of up to 50 cm long).