Bur-Cucumber (Sicyos angulatus)
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"And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.   And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31)

Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake
- Bur-Cucumber (Sicyos angulatus) -
(click on the photos or links to enlarge)

(Bur-Cucumber - 1) The bur-cucumber is climbing vine.  The patch we photographed here was covering and area of about 25 feet long and about 15 feet deep.  It covered most of the other ground plants and had taken over one side of a tree.

(Bur-Cucumber - 2) The leaves of the bur-cucumber have five lobes, although the two closest to the stem are less distinguishable as separate lobes, since they tend to grow into the adjacent lobes.   In this photo we can also see both the flower stock and the prickly fruit below.   Although we could not find anything in the literature about the relationship between the flower and fruit, it appears that the fruit forms off the main stem and not directly from the flowers, as is most common.

(Bur-Cucumber - 3) This is a forty times enlargement of one of the bur-cucumber flowers, which are in clusters on stems, and which have a normal size of about 1/4 inch.  The five pimply deep veined petals which surround a very unusual central core has a somewhat surreal appearance.

(Bur-Cucumber - 5) In this photo there are two prickly clusters of bur-cucumber fruit.  We can also see the hairy stems, which is another characteristic of the bur-cucumber.  Most of the fruit clusters we encountered were hidden under the leaves.  In order to take this photo, we had to hold up the leaf.

(Bur-Cucumber - 4) This is an enlargement of one section of the bur-cucumber prickly fruit cluster.  Other varieties of wild cucumbers have only a single fruit.  The bur-cucumber is a member of the Gourd family.

(Bur-Cucumber - 06)  This bur-cucumber had climbed up about 20 feet into a neighboring tree.

(Bur-Cucumber - 07)  This is a closer look at a portion of the intertwined vines of the bur-cucumber with its five-lobed leaves and flower clusters.

(Bur-Cucumber - 07a)  In this photo of the bur-cucumber, we can see the toothed edges of the leaves.

(Bur-Cucumber - 08)  This is a closer look at one bur-cucumber flower cluster with what appear to be staminate five-petaled flowers.

(Bur-Cucumber - 09)  This is another close-up look at one of the bur-cucumber 1/2 inch flowers.

(Bur-Cucumber - 10)  This is another view of a bur-cucumber flower.

(Bur-Cucumber - 11)  This is another patch of bur-cucumber.

(Bur-Cucumber - 12)  This is a closer look at a portion of a patch of flowering bur-cucumber.

(Bur-Cucumber - 12a)  This is another look at the patch of bur-cucumber that has climbed over the lower branches of an adjacent tree.

(Bur-Cucumber - 13)  This is another look at a patch of bur-cucumber.

(Bur-Cucumber - 13a)  In this photo of the bur-cucumber, we can see their intertwined vines and stems.

(Bur-Cucumber - 14)  In this bee's eye view of a portion of a bur-cucumber flower, we can see the hairy underside edges of the petals.  We have not been able to identify whether this is a staminate or pistillate flower.  A very small worm is dining on one of the petals.

| Wild Flowers of SHL: Photo Identification, Common Name, Scientific Name | Art and Photos |

Presented here are just a few of the countless components of God's creation.  Just as we cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither can we have lasting peace without love and compassion.  It is our hope and prayer that this series will motivate people to live and act in a cruelty-free manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the animals or our environment.

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