What are cucurbitales?

Cucurbitales is a small order of flowering plants with seven families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. Species in the order tend to have veins in the leaf radiating from the base; the sepals and petals are often not sharply different; and the styles are free. The order includes Begoniaceae , the begonia family, with 60% of the species in the order, and Cucurbitaceae , the squash, gourd, and cucumber family, with 90% of the genera in the order. In addition, Cucurbitales includes five small families: Anisophylleaceae, Coriariaceae, Corynocarpaceae, Datiscaceae, and Tetramelaceae.

Which common plants belong to the cucurbitales order?

The Cucurbitales order is a group of flowering plants that contains seven families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. Common plants that belong to the Cucurbitales order include: Begoniaceae, the begonia family Cucurbitaceae, the squash , gourd, and cucumber family, including pumpkins , melons , and gourds Corynocarpaceae , evergreen trees with six species Coriariaceae , shrubby plants with five species Anisophylleaceae , evergreen trees or shrubs with 34 species Tetramelaceae , Indo-Malesian trees with two genera Datiscaceae , perennial herbs with two species Many species and hybrids of Begonia are cultivated as ornamentals; otherwise, the family has little economic importance.

What are some key features of cucurbitales plants?

Cucurbitales is a small order of flowering plants with 7 families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. Key features of plants in the Cucurbitales order include leaves with veins radiating from the base, sepals and petals that are not sharply different, and styles that are free. Many species within Cucurbitales have inferior ovaries, and their male and female flowers are often distinct, though they are usually borne on the same plant. The gourd family ( Cucurbitaceae ) within the order contains 98 genera and about 975 species, including cucumbers, gourds, melons, squashes, and pumpkins. Most species are fast-growing prostrate or climbing vines with long-stalked palmate leaves that alternate along the stem.

Where are cucurbitales plants usually found in the world?

Cucurbitales are typically discovered in tropical and warm temperate regions globally. The Cucurbitaceae family, integral to this order, features 98 genera and approximately 975 species, including gourds, melons, squashes, pumpkins, and cucumbers. These plants are sensitive to freezing temperatures, which affects their geographic distribution and cultivation. Some Cucurbitales species have been cultivated for millennia and are now found worldwide.

How do cucurbitales plants reproduce?

Plants in the order Cucurbitales, which includes the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), exhibit diverse reproductive strategies. Most species have unisexual flowers with five white or yellow petals, borne in the leaf axils. Male flowers feature up to five anthers, often fused, while female flowers typically have three carpels. Pollination by bees is common in cultivated members of the family. The fruit is usually a fleshy, many-seeded berry with a tough rind, known as a pepo. Some species have flattened seeds, and certain species, such as the Javan cucumber, have winged seeds that aid in dispersal. Other species, like the squirting cucumber, utilize explosive force to expel their seeds. The seed coat is mucilaginous, which aids in its dispersal by animals.

Why are cucurbitales important to people and the environment?

Cucurbitales is an order of flowering plants containing seven families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. The Cucurbitaceae family within Cucurbitales includes gourds, melons, squashes, and pumpkins, which have been cultivated by humans for millennia and are now spread around the world. Many cucurbits have a low nutrient content, with the exception of winter squashes. The agricultural systems in much of pre-Columbian America relied on squash, beans, and corn. The hard, dry shells of mature bottle gourds are used for bowls and other utensils.

Cucurbitales

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Images

A pile of freshly harvested pumpkins and gourds in various shapes, with striped patterns in shades of yellow, orange, and green.

Clusters of tuberous begonia flowers, Begonia x tuberhybrida, with ruffled red and pink blooms surrounded by green leaves.

A green cucumber (Cucumis sativus) fruit growing on the vine next to a bright yellow blossom, surrounded by green leaves.

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo) on the vine

A single green chayote fruit (Sechium edule) hangs from a vine, with a small yellow flower attached, set against a blurred outdoor background.

Cucurbitales

plant order

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Paul E. Berry

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History

Top Questions

What are cucurbitales?
Cucurbitales is a small order of flowering plants with seven families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. Species in the order tend to have veins in the leaf radiating from the base; the sepals and petals are often not sharply different; and the styles are free.

The order includes Begoniaceae, the begonia family, with 60% of the species in the order, and Cucurbitaceae, the squash, gourd, and cucumber family, with 90% of the genera in the order. In addition, Cucurbitales includes five small families: Anisophylleaceae, Coriariaceae, Corynocarpaceae, Datiscaceae, and Tetramelaceae.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which common plants belong to the cucurbitales order?
The Cucurbitales order is a group of flowering plants that contains seven families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. Common plants that belong to the Cucurbitales order include:
- Begoniaceae, the begonia family
- Cucurbitaceae, the squash, gourd, and cucumber family, including pumpkins, melons, and gourds
- Corynocarpaceae, evergreen trees with six species
- Coriariaceae, shrubby plants with five species
- Anisophylleaceae, evergreen trees or shrubs with 34 species
- Tetramelaceae, Indo-Malesian trees with two genera
- Datiscaceae, perennial herbs with two species
Many species and hybrids of Begonia are cultivated as ornamentals; otherwise, the family has little economic importance.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some key features of cucurbitales plants?
Cucurbitales is a small order of flowering plants with 7 families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. Key features of plants in the Cucurbitales order include leaves with veins radiating from the base, sepals and petals that are not sharply different, and styles that are free. Many species within Cucurbitales have inferior ovaries, and their male and female flowers are often distinct, though they are usually borne on the same plant. The gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) within the order contains 98 genera and about 975 species, including cucumbers, gourds, melons, squashes, and pumpkins. Most species are fast-growing prostrate or climbing vines with long-stalked palmate leaves that alternate along the stem.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Cucurbitaceae
2. Cucurbitales
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where are cucurbitales plants usually found in the world?
Cucurbitales are typically discovered in tropical and warm temperate regions globally. The Cucurbitaceae family, integral to this order, features 98 genera and approximately 975 species, including gourds, melons, squashes, pumpkins, and cucumbers. These plants are sensitive to freezing temperatures, which affects their geographic distribution and cultivation. Some Cucurbitales species have been cultivated for millennia and are now found worldwide.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Cucurbitaceae
2. Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do cucurbitales plants reproduce?
Plants in the order Cucurbitales, which includes the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), exhibit diverse reproductive strategies. Most species have unisexual flowers with five white or yellow petals, borne in the leaf axils. Male flowers feature up to five anthers, often fused, while female flowers typically have three carpels. Pollination by bees is common in cultivated members of the family.

The fruit is usually a fleshy, many-seeded berry with a tough rind, known as a pepo. Some species have flattened seeds, and certain species, such as the Javan cucumber, have winged seeds that aid in dispersal. Other species, like the squirting cucumber, utilize explosive force to expel their seeds. The seed coat is mucilaginous, which aids in its dispersal by animals.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why are cucurbitales important to people and the environment?
Cucurbitales is an order of flowering plants containing seven families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. The Cucurbitaceae family within Cucurbitales includes gourds, melons, squashes, and pumpkins, which have been cultivated by humans for millennia and are now spread around the world.

Many cucurbits have a low nutrient content, with the exception of winter squashes. The agricultural systems in much of pre-Columbian America relied on squash, beans, and corn. The hard, dry shells of mature bottle gourds are used for bowls and other utensils.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Cucurbitaceae
2. Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Cucurbitales, small order of flowering plants containing seven families, 129 genera, and 2,295 species. It includes Begoniaceae, the begonia family, with 60 percent of the species in the order, and Cucurbitaceae, the squash, gourd, and cucumber family, with 90 percent of the genera in the order. In addition, Cucurbitales includes five small families: Anisophylleaceae, Coriariaceae, Corynocarpaceae, Datiscaceae, and Tetramelaceae.

Cucurbitales is a Rosid I order and is close to Fagales. Species in the order tend to have the veins in the leaf radiating from the base; the sepals and petals often are not sharply different; and the styles are free. Many species have inferior ovaries, and male and female flowers are often distinct, although usually borne on the same plant.

Cucurbitales is a curious assemblage of families. Cucurbitaceae, Datiscaceae, and Begoniaceae traditionally have been placed together, often with other families that have ovules on the walls of the ovary, such as Violaceae, or the violet family. Corynocarpaceae has long been a family of uncertain position. Before DNA studies, Coriariaceae was linked with Ranunculaceae because of its separate carpels. Anisophylleaceae was formerly linked to or included in Rhizophoraceae, a family that now belongs to the order Malpighiales but in the past was often linked to the order Myrtales. Flowers of some Anisophylleaceae are remarkably like those of some Cunoniaceae (order Oxalidales), down to the fine details observable during development, but this seems to be because of a mixture of persistence of a common ground plan and evolutionary convergence. For more information on the modern Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II (APG II) botanical classification system, see angiosperm.

Begoniaceae

Members of Begoniaceae are succulent herbs or sometimes climbers; there are 2 genera and more than 1,400 species, and they occur throughout the tropics and into subtropical regions. Begonia includes all the species in the family minus one; it occurs throughout the family’s range but is not native to Hawaii. The excluded species is Hillebrandia sandwicensis, which is restricted to Hawaii. The family often has leaves in two ranks; the base of the blades is asymmetrical, and there are well-developed teeth and stipules. The plants have both male and female flowers in the same flowering unit (inflorescence). Begonia has petals and sepals that are petal-like, a form known as tepals. The ovules are borne in the centre of an inferior ovary, and the stigmas are large, divided, and often twisted. The fruit is a capsule, often with asymmetrical wings, or rarely a berry.

Male and female flowers of Begonia may have different numbers of tepals; male flowers open first at the base of the inflorescence, with female flowers appearing later. Both stigmas and anthers are often bright yellow. The flowers usually contain no nectar, though bees and other pollinators may visit the female flower expecting to find pollen—a kind of “deceit pollination.” The seeds of Begoniaceae have a small lid surrounded by specialized cells. Begonia rex can produce plantlets directly from the leaf, which is very unusual in flowering plants. How Hillebrandia came to be restricted to Hawaii is unknown; the genus appears to have originated well before Begonia, more than 50 million years ago, but the Hawaiian Islands are volcanic and of much younger age. Hillebrandia has a number of “primitive” features, including the presence of five sepals and five small petals in female flowers and an only partly inferior ovary.

Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap

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Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous

The leaves of some African and Asian Begonia species are edible; in South America some species are eaten to prevent scurvy. Rhizomes of certain species in South America are used for their medicinal qualities as astringents, as treatment for fever, as antisyphilitics, and as laxatives.

Begonia is of considerable horticultural interest, with many species and hybrids prized as house or garden plants. Classifications of begonias for horticultural purposes are quite different from those for botanical studies, with species valued for their potential in producing hybrids rather than their botanical relationships. Variations in growth habit, leaves (including colour patterns), inflorescence type, flower size and colour, and length of blooming period are all of horticultural value.

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Three groups of species are of particular interest to horticulturists. One is cultivated for its leaves, including especially B. rex. Another, valued for its flowers, is subdivided into a group of small-flowered plants centred on B. cucullata (more commonly called B. semperflorens) and a group of large-flowered plants, including the tuberous begonias, such as B. rosaeflora, B. veitchii, B. boliviensis, and B. x tuberhybrida. A third group has both ornamental flowers and decorative leaves and includes B. scharffiana and B. metallica, from which came the hybrid B. x credneri. Modern growers place begonias in four groups: (1) fibrous-rooted, including the wax (B. semperflorens), the cane-stemmed, and the hirsute, or hairy, (2) the rhizomatous, (3) the rex-cultorum, or rex, and (4) the tuberous-rooted.

Cucurbitales

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Begoniaceae