Cucumis SATIVUS L.
| Synonym : | Cucumis esculentus Salisb. Cucumis rumphii Hassk. Cucumis setosus Cogn. Cucumis vilmorinii Spreng. |
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| Bangla Name : | Khira, Shasha. |
| English Name : | Cucumber. |
| Family : | Cucurbitaceae |
| Disease : | Demulcent, Cooling, cooling, tonic, diuretic and anthelmintic. |
| Description : | A hispidly hairy prostrate or climber. Leaves 12-18 cm long and broad, broadly cordate-ovate, angled a shallowly 3-5- lobed, villous-hispid. Male flowers fasiculate, corolla 2-3 cm long, yellow. Female flowers solitary or fasciculate, peduncle robust, yellow. Fruit oblong, short or long, green, turns rusty brown when mature. |
| Distribution : | Cultivated all over Bangladesh. |
| Chemical Constituents : | Various parts of the plant contain sterols. Leaves contain free cucurbitasides B and C, feredoxin, stigmasterol, ?-spinosterol and ?-spinasterol. Fruit contains rutin and volatile compounds. Fruits contain palmitic, stearic and oleic acids, their glycerid |
| Uses : | Fruits are demulcent, applied externally to relieve inflammation. Cooling and refreshing fruit slices when applied to closed eyes, relieves pink eyes, sunburn and eyestrain. Seeds are cooling, tonic, diuretic and anthelmintic. Leaves along with cumin seed |
| Habit : | Climber |