cucumis

Flora Eur. 816

cucumber

Cucumis sativus L.

Gurke

concumbre

cocomero

cucumis.sativus.1.jpg	cucumis.sativus.2.jpg	cucumis.sativus.young.jpg
Cucumiswildtypes.jpg	Farnesina.jpg	Thome.cucumis.jpg

The humble cucumber is an exotic visitor originally from India. Vergil's cuke probably would have been smaller, rounder, spikier, and seedier than modern culivars, though not so scary as the wild ones from Africa (picture 4). These beautiful cocomeri from the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche in Palazzo Farnesina by Giovanni Martini da Udine (1487-1564) probably give a good idea of Vergil's salad.

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