''Xerosicyos'' is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Cucurbitaceae The Cucurbitaceae (), also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family (biology), family consisting of about 965 species in 101 genera.

. Its name comes from

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

''xeros'' (meaning "dry") and ''sicyos'' ("cucumber"). There are six species, all endemic to Madagascar.

Species

Six species are accepted. *''

Xerosicyos danguyi ''Xerosicyos'' is a flowering plant genus of the family Cucurbitaceae. Its name comes from Greek ''xeros'' (meaning "dry") and ''sicyos'' ("cucumber"). There are six species, all endemic to Madagascar. Species Six species are accepted. *'' X ...

'' is a large

liana A liana is a long-Plant stem, stemmed Woody plant, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the Canopy (biology), canopy in search of direct sunlight. T ...

with thick stems and round, gray succulent leaves. It is common in cultivation and often called the "silver dollar" vine. *'' Xerosicyos decaryi'' *'' Xerosicyos hirtellus'' *''

Xerosicyos perrieri ''Xerosicyos'' is a flowering plant genus of the family Cucurbitaceae. Its name comes from Greek ''xeros'' (meaning "dry") and ''sicyos'' ("cucumber"). There are six species, all endemic to Madagascar. Species Six species are accepted. *'' X ...

'' is also a liana with thinner stems and smaller, ovate green succulent leaves. *'' Xerosicyos pubescens'' is entirely different from the previous species. It forms a large

caudex A caudex (: caudices) of a plant is a stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.pages 456 and 695 In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, "caudex" is most ...

from which deciduous vines emerge. The leaves are lobed and semi-succulent and die back in the dry season and during prolonged periods of drought. *'' Xerosicyos tripartitus''

References

Cucurbitaceae Cucurbitaceae genera Endemic flora of Madagascar Taxa described in 1939 Taxa named by Jean-Henri Humbert {{Cucurbitales-stub