Eli5: why do cucumbers have bumpy skin?

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Serious, is there some function or purpose compared to eggplants/tomatoes having smooth skin?

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2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The bumps are the remnants of the spines of the [wild cucumbers](https://growitbuildit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/wild-cucumber-3658360_960_720.jpg) that the cultivar has been bred from.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Uncultivated cucumbers are native to India and are actually really spiny/prickly and a lot of varieties of cultivated cucumbers retain these spikes.

Similar to how a rose has thorns, it’s likely a form of protection from predators.