

1GO GOURD FAMILY. 



C. verrucdsa, WARTY, LONG-NECK, and CROOK-NECK SQUASH, VEGE- 

 TABLE MARROW, &c. Fruit mostly hard-fleshed at maturity, the surface 

 warty, ribbed, or sometimes smooth and even, from 2 to a few inches in length 

 in the very various forms, in a remarkable one 3 -4 long and little thicker 

 than a man's arm. 



2. Stalks and bright green 5 - 7-/o'>ed leaves pubescent with soft hairs : fruit-stalk 

 5-ridged, prominently enlarged where it joins the fruit, the central pulp 

 hardly thready. 



C. moschata, MUSKY, CHINA, or BARBARY SQUASH, &c. Cult, for 

 the edible fruit, which perfects only S., and is club-shaped, pear-shaped, or 

 long-cylindrical, Avith a glaucous-whitish surface. 



3. Stalks and almost kidmy-sliaped slightly or obtusely 5-lob<d leaves roughish- 

 hairy : Jiotver-slalks terete ; that of the frail thick, many-striale but not ridged 

 andgroot-ed: inner pulp copious and not thready. 



C. maxima, GREAT or WINTER SQUASH, &c. Fruit rounded, depressed, 

 often much wider than high, or (as in OHIO S.) ovate and pointed, usually 

 banded lengthwise, varying from 6' to 3 in length or breadth, the hard flesh 

 commonly yellow or orange. The crowned or TURBAN SQUASHES have the 

 top of the fruit projecting beyond an encircling line or constriction which marks 

 the margin of the adherent calyx-tube. 



3. CITRULLUS, WATERMELON. (Name made from Citrus, Latin 

 for Orange or Citron.) 



C. vulgaris, WATERMELON. Cult, from Asia. Prostrate, with leaves 

 deeply 3 - 5-lobed, and the divisions again lobed or sinuate-pinnatifid, pale or 

 bluish ; the refreshing edible pulp of the fruit, in which the dark seeds are im- 

 bedded, consists of the enlarged and juicy placentae, which are reddish or rarely 

 white. The so-called CITRON of our gardens is a variety with a firm or hard 

 flesh, used for preserving. 



4. CtJCTJMIS, MELON and CUCUMBER. (The Latin name.) 



C. Melo, MELON, MUSKMELON. Leaves round-heart-shaped or kidney- 

 shaped, the lobes if any and sinuses rounded ; fruit with a smooth rind and 

 sweet flesh, the edible part being the inner portion of the pericarp, the thin and 

 watery placentae being discarded with the seeds. The SERPENT MELON, some- 

 times called SERPENT-CUCUMBER, is a strange variety, occasionally met with, 

 with a long and snake-like fruit. 



C. sativus, CUCUMBER. Leaves more or less lobed, the lobes acute, the 

 middle one more prominent, often pointed ; fruit rough or muricate when young, 

 smooth when mature, eaten unripe. 



5. MELOTHRIA. (An ancient Greek name for some sort of grape.) Jj. 

 M. p6ndula, from Virginia S., is a delicate low climber, with roundish 



or heart-shaped and 5-angled or lobed roughish leaves, minute flowers, in sum- 

 mer, and oval green berries. 



6. ECHINOCYSTIS, WILD BALSAM-APPLE. (Name from Greek 

 for hedgehog and bladder. ) 



E. lobata. Low grounds, chiefly N. & W., and cult, for arbors: tall- 

 climbing, smoothish, with strongly and sharply 5-lobed leaves, copious and 

 rather pretty white flowers, produced all summer, and oval fruit 2' long, dry 

 and bladdery after opening ; seeds flat. 



7. SIC YOS, STAR-CUCUMBER. (Ancient Greek name of Cucumber.) 

 S. angulatus. A weed in damp or shady grounds, commoner S., climb- 

 ing high, clammy-hairy, with roundish heart-shaped and 5-angled or slightly 

 lobed leaves, inconspicuous flowers, and little bur-like fruits beset with decidu- 

 ous barbed prickles. The tendrils are very active in their movements, and in a 



v arm day coil by a visible motion after contact with a solid body. () 



