BULLETIN 
OF THE 
TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB. 
Vol. XVHI.J New York, October 8, 1891. [No. /0. 
Concerning some Names for Cucurbite. 
By E. LEwIs STURTEVANT. 
CUCURBITA. 
The ancient Latin name for the gourd, ZLagenaria. This 
identification fulfils all the conditions of the context, wherever I 
have found the word used, and is rendered the more certain by 
the statement of Albertus Magnus, 13th century, that the cucur- _ 
bita has white flowers. The earliest figure that I have seen is in 
the Herbarium Magunie, 1484. In 1536, under Cucurbita, 
Brunfelsius figures a gourd, and in Mathiolus’ Commentaries, 
1560, a pumpkin in figured under the name Cucurbita Indica. 
MELO. . 
A Latin word which is used by Palladius about 210 A. D. 
He speaks of melones as being sweet and odorous. In the 13th 
century Albertus Magnus says “melones, que alio nomine 
pepones”’ vocantur. Hence Cucumis melo, L. as also the Melon 
of Crescentius. 
The word melon was used for the pumpkin by Lyte, 1578 and 
1586, Gerarde, 1597, Parkinson, 1629 and Ray, i681; apparently 
by Cartier, 1535, Hariot, 1586, certainly by Kalm, 1770 and 
Carver, 1776. 
Pe : MELON. 
A Greek word for an apple, or any tree-fruit, as melon 
Kudonion, the quince; melon Persikon, the peach. Hence 
__ melopepon, an apple-shaped pepon. 
