Question

In cucumber the edible part is
A. Mesocarp
B. Endocarp
C. Pericarp and thalamus
D. Thalamus, pericarp, Placenta and seeds

Answer 1

Hint: Cucumber is one of the most important cultivated greenhouse crops. Most varieties are female hybrid cultivars, but monoic cultivars are still in use in some South East European countries.

Complete Answer:
- Cucumber cultivation – as for other fast-growing vegetables – is characterized by technologies designed to increase intensive production.
- Cultural practices aim to provide an appropriate root medium, balanced root/leaf growth, balanced source/sink development, and a good harvesting rate of high-quality fruits. The most important growing practices are microclimate control, fertigation and training.
- Cucumber is very sensitive to both abiotic and biotic stresses, and serious problems can arise in the case of inappropriate crop management. Integrated pest management provides various approaches for smallholders.
- Cucumber, the edible part is thalamus, pericarp, placenta and seeds. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceous. The fruit of the cucumber is roughly cylindrical, elongated with tapered ends.
- Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower, cucumbers are classified as accessory fruits. An accessory fruit is a fruit in which some of the flesh is derived not from the ovary but from some adjacent tissue exterior to the carpel.

Therefore, from the above explanation the correct option is (A) Mesocarp.

Note: Neither ‘vegetable’ nor ‘fruit’ is a botanical term. Vegetables are all the edible parts of the plant. In botany, fruits, flowers, leaves and stems can all be seen as vegetables. According to botanists (those who study plants) a fruit is the part of the plant that develops from a flower. It’s also the section of the plant that contains the seeds. Therefore a cucumber is a fruit.