Cultivated in Asia for over 3,000 years, the cucumber - Cucumis sativus - belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and the Melothrieae tribe. The genus Cucumis comprises some 38 known species. There are five types of cucumber: field cucumbers, whose epidermis is covered with small white or black spines; greenhouse cucumbers, whose epidermis is very smooth and which are derived from oriental types with very elongated fruits; "Sikkim" type cucumbers, whose epidermis is in the middle of the fruit. cucumbers with orange-red skin, and cucumbers with very small candied fruits, known as "cornichons" or "gherkins".gherkins" or "cornichons", and round "Apple" or "Lemon" cucumbers. In Morocco, peeled cucumbers are prescribed to calm fevers and soothe the stomach. The pulp is used externally for pruritus and local irritation.