PREPARED BY : NURUL HUSNA ZULKAFLI 0611454

1. MY FAVOURITE ETHNOBOTANIC PLANT PREPARED BY : NURUL HUSNA ZULKAFLI 0611454 Cucumis sativus L

2. PLANTS CLASSIFICATION Kingdom : Plantae (Plants) Subkingdom : Tracheobionta (Vascular plants) Superdivision : Spermatophyta (Seed plants) Division : Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants) Class : Magnoliopsida ( Dicotyledons) Botanical Name : Cucumis sativus L Common Name : Cucumber, American gherkin, Cuke, Cassabanana, Gherkin Synonym Name : Hothouse cucumber, Lemon cucumber, Mandera cucumber, Pickling cucumber, Serpent cucumber, Slicing cucumber, Snake cucumber, West Indian gherkin Family Name : Cucurbitaceae

3. HISTORY • Cucumbers were thought to originate over 10,000 years ago in Northern India • Later, early explorers and travelers introduced this vegetable to the Mediterranean countries and China. • The early colonists introduced cucumbers to United States. • It was very popular in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome, whose people used it not only as a food but also for its beneficial skin healing properties. • The Chinese, Malays, and Indians believe that cucumber has cooling properties.

4. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS • Cucumbers are scientifically classified as a fruit. • A climbing or trailing annual herb that growing to 2m height. • The plant prefers light, moist soil- medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. • The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. • The preferred habitats is cultivated beds. • Has stout but hairy stems with simple tendril. • Has extensive roots. • It is propagated by seeds which is having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower.

5. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS • Leaves are triangular in shape with pointed lobes, ovate and 7-20 cm in diameter. • It is large, dark green, and have a slightly rough texture. • Flowers are yellow, trumpet shape, 3-4 cm in diameter, monoecious and are pollinated by insects. • The fruits are pendulous and variable in shape and size with pale, green fleshy and many seeds. • It is roughly cylindrical, elongated, with tapered ends, and may be as large as 60 cm long and 10 cm in diameter.

6. EDIBLE USES • The fruit is a common ingredient of salads (raw or cooked), being valued mainly for its crisp texture and juiciness. • However, it is very watery, with little flavour and is not very nutritious. • Many people find the fruit to be indigestible, this is due to the high cellulose content. • It seed rich in oil with a nutty flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat. • Young leaves and stems cooked as a potherb. • Its oil from seed is said to resemble olive oil, it is used in salad dressings and French cooking.

7. MEDICINAL USES • The leaf juice is used to treat dyspepsia in children. • The fresh fruit contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid which is used internally in the treatment of blemished skin, heat rash. • It is also help soothe skin irritations and reduce swellingunder the eyes, sunburn and dermatitis. • It is used externally as a poultice for burns, sores etc. • 25 - 50 grams of the thoroughly ground seeds is a standard dose as a vermifuge and usually needs to be followed by a purgative to expel the worms from the body. • Cucumbers’ hard skin is rich in fiber and contains a variety of beneficial minerals including silica, potassium and magnesium. • High in silica has an essential component of healthy connective tissue. • High in potassium, magnesium and fiber can lowered their blood pressure to the healthier level.

8. OTHER USES • The fruit is applied to the skin as a cleansing cosmetic to soften and whiten it. • The juice is used in many beauty products. • Cucumber skins have been shown to repel cockroaches in laboratory experiments. • The Romans are reported to have used cucumbers to treat scorpion bites, bad eyesight, and to scare away mice. • Wives wishing for children wore them around their waists. They were also carried by the midwives, and thrown away when the child was born.

9. CARVING • Introducing beauty to the dining table is to use carved vegetables as decorative garnish. • Vegetable carving is an old art • Simple cuts in cucumbers can produce attractive shapes and bring about a dramatic change in the presentation of a dish.

10. GROCERY GUIDE • To ensure that vegetable is fresh to enjoy the full flavor of that vegetable • It should be firm, rounded at their edges, and their color should be a bright medium to dark green • Avoid cucumbers that are yellow, puffy, have sunken water-soaked areas, or are wrinkled at their tips. • Thinner cucumbers will generally have less seeds than those that are thicker. • Many people are used to purchasing cucumbers that have a waxed coating, it is highly recommended to choose those that are unwaxed, so the nutrient-rich skin can be eaten without consuming the wax and any chemicals trapped in it.

11. REFERENCES • H.F.Chin.Malaysian Vegetables in Colour – A Complete Guide • http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/nexus/Cucumis_sativus_nex.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber • http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile_symbolofil=CUSA4