160 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



obovata and oblonga of the Prodromus. It is closely 

 related to C. coruscaiis Haworth, as figured by Sims in the 

 Botanical Magazine, lii. pi. 2601, but the latter species is 

 characterized by thick margined channeled leaves, while 

 those of orbiculata are rather acute on the margin, the 

 recurving of which is not sufficient to render them 

 channeled. 



Explanation of plate 29.— Fig. 1, habit of Cotyledon orbiculata, half 

 size ; fig. 2, leaf, natural size ; fig. 3, flower, and fig. 4, opened flower, 

 natural size ; flg. 5, base of pistil with nectar gland, and longitudinal 

 section of pistil and gland, X 2; flg. C, young and old stamens, X 2. 



4. Cucumis Melo Dudaim (L.). 



Through the Southern States a small melon is frequent 

 in melon patches where volunteer plants are almost certain 

 to appear each year among the musk melons, and the opinion 

 seems to be quite prevalent that the vines, which resemble 

 those of the ordinary melon, originate from degenerate 

 seeds of the latter. 



At first very dark green, and quite destitute of grooves, 

 but with about ten longitudinal stripes and numerous irreg- 

 ular spots of lighter green, — then resembling a diminutive 

 watermelon,— the fruit, which varies in size from that of 

 an apricot to that of an orange, changes to a deep orange 



mar 



then assume a lemon yellow color. Though not at all 



6 IV/U 



mass 



firm 



r> 



instead of becoming hollow as is usual with the latter : and 



when ripe assumes an unusually pronounced cantaloup 

 odor. 



All through the South these melons are known as 

 " pomegranates," though they are in every way unlike the 

 true pomegranate, — the fruit of the shrubby Punica 



^ 1 ■ m 



* Cucumis Melo Dudaiin Naudin, Ann. Sc. Nat. 4 Ser. xi. (1859), 69. 

 Pailleux and Bois, Potager d' un Curieux, 342. C. Dudaim Linn. Sp. Plant, 

 ii. 1011. C. Melo Cogniaux, Monogr. Plum. iii. 484.— Synonymy in 

 Naudin and Cosrniaux. 





