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Cucumis humifructus
The aardvark cucumber (''Cucumis humifructus''), also known as the aardvark pumpkin, is a kind of cucumber from southern Africa, tropical Africa, and Madagascar which fruits underground. It is reliant on the aardvark to eat the fruit in order to spread and re-bury the seeds of the plant. The species was described in 1927, with the name spelled ''C. humofructus'', but this is corrected to ''C. humifructus'' following the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.〔 Article 60.8 and Rec. 60G.1〕
==Description==
''Cucumis humifructus'' is thought to be the only ''Cucumis'' species having geocarpic (subterranean) fruit. The vines of the plant initially develop their fruits above ground on stalks which then bend and push back under the ground.〔 The fruit then grows at a depth of between . It develops a tough skin which is water-resistant, and can remain intact for months without decay.〔 The plant grows as a trailing herb from in tropical Africa and in southern Africa.
It is the only fruit eaten by aardvark, which normally feeds exclusively on ants and termites. Aardvarks eat the fruit for its water content, and propagate the seeds through their feces, which are then buried by the animals.〔 Due to the depth at which the fruits ripen, the seeds are unable to germinate without assistance, and ''C. humifructus'' is completely reliant on aardvarks to uncover their fruit.〔 This plant may be the reason why the aardvark is the only mammal feeding on ants and termites that has retained functional cheek teeth.
抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』
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