Cucumis humifructus
| Aardvark cucumber | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Cucumis |
| Species: | C. humifructus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cucumis humifructus | |
Cucumis humifructus, the aardvark cucumber or aardvark pumpkin, is a species of cucumber (family Cucurbitaceae) from southern and tropical Africa which fruits underground. It is a prostrate vine up to 7 metres (23 ft) in length. It is reliant on the aardvark (Orycteropus afer) to eat the fruit in order to spread and re-bury its seeds. The species was described in 1927, with the name spelling "humofructus", but this is corrected to C. humifructus following the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.