156 
- stamens. Fig. 6, Side view of a stamen. — Fig. 1t, Back 
view of do. Fig. 8, Grain of pollen :—more or less mag- 
nified. Fig. 9, Seed in a state of germination :—nat. size. 
ACCOUNT OF THE PLANT, KNOWN AT THE ISLE OF 
FRANCE UNDER THE COMMON NAME OF LIANE LEJO- 
LIFF (TELFAIRIA PEDATA:) BY M. JEAN VINCENT, 
ADVOCATE. 
M. Lejoliff, of St. Malo, a captain in the Navy, undertook 
in the year 1807, a voyage to the Eastern coast of Africa, 
whence he brought the seeds of a plant, hitherto unknown 
in this Island. These vegetated quickly; but their flowers 
not setting, the hopes which several colonists had enter- 
tained of cultivating this new esculent, were disappointed. 
The only individual plant in this town, blossomed in the- 
second year, but all its flowers proved male; while a small 
number of barren fruits, produced by some female plants at 
Wilhelm’s Plain, contained seeds, whose perisperm was en- 
tirely hollow; thus incontestably proving the dicecious 
nature of the species, 
A hurricane destroyed all the plants in the third year. 
The loss of this valuable vegetable caused the more regret, 
because it was impossible to replace it; no one knowing 
either its name or the spot whence it was originally ob- 
tained. Fifteen or sixteen years elapsed before it was 
introduced anew. 
.I had communicated my notes on this curious Cucurbita- 
ceous plant to.my friends, M. M. Helsinberg and Bojer, two 
German Naturalists; who vainly sought for it in their - 
earlier excursions to Madagascar. Captain Owen, to whom 
I also mentioned it, when he first visited Mauritius, and who 
was Commandant of the Expedition for exploring the Eastern 
coast of Africa, was equally unsuccessful He, however, 
took on board his vessel the unfortunate Helsinberg, t° 
whom I renewed my solicitations. At the same time, : 
Bojer embarked in the Andromache, commanded by Com- 
modore Nourse, an officer whose kindness and friendly | 
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