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Armenian Cucumbers are more closely related to muskmelons than they are to cucumbers. But thought they are really melons, they aren't sweet, so they are treated as a vegetable.
The plant is an annual one growing a vine up to 5 feet long (1 1/2 metres) long. It can be trained to grow up a sturdy trellis.
The plant likes full sun, and is more tolerant of hot weather growing conditions than regular cucumbers.
The leaves are roundish, somewhat kidney-shaped. The plant produces small, pale-yellow flowers that are male or female. The plant is self-fertile, but it also gets pollinated by insects.
The cucumbers will grow up to 3 feet (1 metre) long and 3 inches (7 1/2 cm) wide, but they are best harvested when skinny, not fat, and at 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm) long.
They will be thickest at the end where the blossom was. If they are grown on a trellis, the cucumbers will grow straight. Otherwise, they will be bent, if not twisted, and if grown right on the ground, the cucumbers may even be coiled or wind like a snake moving along the ground. They are attached to the vein by a stem with fine hairs on it.
The cucumbers have thin, ribbed, crunchy, edible light to dark green skin.
The seeds inside are edible.
The cucumber is more fragrant that it is tasty: some describe the flavour as mild; some say there isn't really much flavour to speak of. Very young ones, though, will have a touch of sweetness to them.
Their taste gets bitter, and they get overly seedy, if they are left to grow to full maturity. As they do, they ripen to yellow and take on a muskmelon smell.
Armenian Cucumber is not the same as "Snake Gourd (Trichosanthes anguina.)"
Some varieties:
- Armenian White Metki Cucumber (aka Armenian Light Green Metki Cucumber): ivory-coloured skin.
- Armenian Painted Metki Cucumber: this variety has dark green skin, with light green stripes running the length of it.
History
Though usually presumed by English speakers to be native to Armenia because of its name, it is actually native, as most melons are presumed to be, to Asia.
Introduced into Italy in the 1400s.
Also called:  Armenian Burpless Cucumber
Armenian Serpent Cucumber
Armenian Yard Long Cucumber
Snake Cucumber
Snake Melon Concombre flexueux, Concombre serpent, Melon serpent (French) Schlangen-Gurke, Schlangen-Melone, Schlangengurke, Schlangenmelone (German) Cocomero di Turchia, Cocomero serpentino, Cocomero torto, Popone serpentino. (Italian) Melón serpiente (Spanish)
Other entries for Cucumbers
Armenian Cucumbers, Cucumbers, Japanese Cucumbers, Kidma Cucumbers, Kirby Cucumbers, Lemon Cucumber, Pickling Cucumbers, Russian Cucumbers
Other entries for Vegetables
Agave, Artichokes, Asparagus, Brassica Family, Canned Vegetables, Cardoons, Celery, Corn, Eggplant, Frozen Vegetables, Garlic, Gourds, Herbed Vinegars, Horseradish Tree, Hoshi Shiitake, Leafy Vegetables, Lotus, Mixed Vegetables, Mushrooms, Pak Wan, Peas, Peppers, Root Vegetables, Sago Palm, Seaweed, Spinach, Sprouts, Squash, Tomatoes, Viscous Vegetables
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