Photo by E.T. (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Scientific Name: Cucumis melo var. flexuosus

Common Names: Armenian Cucumber, Snake Melon, Snake Cucumber, Yard-Long Cucumber, Kakri, Acur, Uri, Atta, Feggous, Fakkous, Fakoosi

Family: CUCURBITACEAE (Gourd, Squash & Melon)

Etymology

Cucumis: Cucumber; Greek
melo: Apple-Shaped Melon
flexuosus: Winding

Origin

Despite appearances this interesting heirloom variety is not actually a cucumber at all and actually a type of muskmelon.  Wild muskmelons originate from the Middle East and Northern India,  Honeydew and Rockmelons are two types of muskmelon the names of which will be more familiar to Australians.  Armenian cucumbers taste, look and have a texture more akin to cucumbers than other muskmelons.  Armenian cucumbers were first bred, as their name suggests, in Armenia in the 15th Century.

Description

Armenian Cucumbers are pale green, curved, have a ridged skin and can grow up to 90cm long.  The skin is thin, lacks bitterness and is burpless meaning that these cucumbers can be enjoyed without peeling. 

Uses

Pick when about 15-25cm long for best taste, the skin and seeds will become tough if the cucumbers are left too long on the vine.  Armenian cucumbers can be sliced and added to salads and sandwiches or just eaten straight off the vine as a healthy snack.

Germination

Sow seed flat, 15mm deep and space holes about 50cm apart.  Or sow several seeds into a mound of soil.  Sow seed from September (after the last chance of frost has past) to February in temperate regions, from August to February in the subtropics or from April to August in the tropics.  Armenian cucumbers take 7 to 13 days to germinate from seed.

Cultivation

Takes from 7 to 11 weeks from sowing the seed until harvest time.  Requires trellising to support the vine, as a added bonus trellised plants will produce straighter fruit as gravity will force the fruit to grow in a straight, downwards direction.  Prefers full sun.