Cucumber, also known as Hu gourd or Green gourd, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.It is widely distributed throughout China and is one of the main greenhouse products.Cucumber was brought back to Central Plains during the Western Han Dynasty by Zhang Qian on his mission to the Western Regions.During the period of Five Barbarians and, Emperor Shi Le of Later Zhao disliked the character “hú”,so Minister of Xiangguo Prefecture, Fan Tan, changed its name to “cucumber”.The stem of cucumber has hairs and is rich in sap, while the leaf has 3-5 lobes covered with down.
