Tas. 8385. 
CUCUMIS merutirervs. 
Tropical and South-east Africa. 
CucURBITACEAE. Tribe CUcCUMERINEAE. 
Cucumis, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 826. 
Cucumis metuliferus, £. Meyer ex Schrad. Relig. in Linnaea, vol. xii. p. 406, 
and in Drége Zwei Pflanz. Docum. pp. 176 and 150; Naud. in Ann. Sc. Nat. 
ser. 4, vol. xi. p. 10; Rev. Hort. 1860, p. 187, fig. 42; Harv. & Sond. Fi. Cap. 
vol. ii. p. 495; Oliver, Fi. Trop. Afr. vol. ii. p. 548; Cogniaux in DC. 
Monogr. Phanerog. vol. iii. p. 499; affinis C. sativo, Linn., sed fructu 
spinis conicis elongatis armato nec sparse tuberculato differt. 
Herba scandens, cirrhosa. Caulis gracilis, hispidus vel setoso-hirsutus. olia 
alterna; petiolus 2-11 em, longus, hispidus; lamina 5-12 em. longa et lata, 
3-5-lobata, utrinque hirsuta vel subhispida, lobis brevibus acutis vel 
breviter cuspidato-acuminatis irregulariter dentatis. Otrrhi simplices, 
graciles, parce hispidi. //ores unisexuales, masculis fasciculatis femineis 
solitariis extra (ovario spinoso-tubereulato excepto) cum pedunculis sub- 
hispido-villosis. Peduneuli masculorum 0°5-2 cm. longi, femineorum 
2-3°5 em. longi. Calycts tubus 4-5 mm. longus, obconico-campanulatus, 
lobis 2-2°5 mm. longus subulatis. Corolla 8-4 cm. diametro, 5-loba, lutea, 
lobis ovatis obtusis. Staména 3; filamenta brevissima, vix 1 mm. longa; 
antherae oblongae, 2°5-3 mm. longae, minutissime ciliatae, apice crenulato- 
cristatae. Stylus 4 mm. longus; stigma magnum, 3-lobum. Fructus 
6-12 cm. longus, 4-7 em. crassus, oblongus vel ellipsoideus, obtuse 
trigonus, spinis crassis anguste conicis 5-13 mm. longis echinatus, pulchre 
raber. Semina 6 mm. longa, ovata, obscure marginata, levia.—U. Tin- 
neanus, Kotschy & Peyr. Pl. Tinn. p. 17, t. 8—N. E. BRowy. 
The Horned Cucumber which is the subject of our illus- 
tration was originally discovered by Drége in Pondoland 
in the vicinity of St. John’s River, But although it was first 
reported from South-east Africa, the plant would appear to be 
rare there, for it has not been met with by any subsequent 
collector. In Tropical Africa, however, it is very widely 
distributed ; it has been reported from Nubia, Abyssinia 
and Jur, as well as from Mozambique on the eastern side 
of the continent; from N igeria, Cameroons and Angola on 
the western side. The specimens in the collection at Kew 
Were raised from seeds presented to the establishment in 
1899 by Mr. ©. H. Stanton, Field Place, Stroud ; these 
seeds had been collected by Major A. E. Stanton, of the 
11th Soudanese, while serving at Khartum. The plant 
when given the treatment suitable for the common Cucum- 
Juty, 1911. 
