Abstract
Studies on trichomes micromorphology using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were undertaken in 23 species with one variety under 13 genera of the family Cucurbitaceae (viz.,
Benincasa hispida
(Thunb.) Cogn.,
Citrullus lanatus
(Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai,
Cucumis melo
var
. agrestis
Naudin,
Cucumis sativus
L.,
Diplocyclos palmatus
(L.) C. Jeffrey,
Edgaria dargeelingensis
C.B. Clarke,
Gynostemma burmanicum
King ex Chakr.,
Gynostemma pentaphyllum
(Thunb.) Makino,
Gynostemma pubescens
(Gagnep.) C.Y. Wu,
Hemsleya dipterygia
Kuang & A.M. Lu,
Lagenaria siceraria
(Molina) Standl.,
Luffa acutangula
(L.) Roxb.,
Luffa cylindrica
M. Roem.,
Luffa echinata
Roxb
.
,
Melothria heterophylla
(Lour.) Cogn.,
Melothria leucocarpa
(Blume) Cogn.,
Melothria maderspatana
(L.) Cogn.,
Sechium edule
(Jacq.) Sw.,
Thladiantha cordifolia
(Blume) Cogn.,
Trichosanthes cucumerina
L.,
T. cucumerina
var.
anguina
(L.) Haines,
Trichosanthes dioica
Roxb.,
Trichosanthes lepiniana
(Naudin) Cogn. and
T.
tricuspidata Lour
.
). The trichomes in the family Cucurbitaceae vary from unicellular to multicellular, conical to elongated, smooth to ridges, with or without flattened disk at base and cyctolithic appendages, thin to thick walled, curved at apices to blunt. Trichomes micromorphology in the family Cucurbitaceae was found significant taxonomically.