1784. The cucumber-tree is small and soft, with remarkable leaves, [and] bears a fruit much resembling that from which it is named.—John Filson, ‘Kentucke,’ p. 23.
1806. Can you send me some cones or seeds of the cucumber-tree?—Tho. Jefferson, ‘Writings’ (1830), iv. 63. (N.E.D.)
1806. [In Kentucky] sugar maple, the coffee, the papaw, the hackberry, and the cucumber tree every where abounded.—Thomas Ashe, ‘Travels in America,’ ii. 278 (Lond., 1808).
1820. The timber of these towns is, beech, chesnut and sugar-maple in great abundance; oak and sicamore in sufficient abundance, some wild-cherry and black walnut and cucumber tree. This last bears a fruit somewhat resembling a cucumber in form, of a red or almost scarlet colour and about an inch long, which is used as a bitter by the people here, and is a tolerably good tonic.—Zerah Hawley, ‘Tour’ [of Ohio, &c.], p. 33 (New Haven, 1822).
