882 FLORA. 



cious. Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary, its limb usually 5-lobed, the 

 lobes imbricated. Petals usually 5, inserted on the limb of the calyx, 

 separate, or united into a gamopetalous corolla. Stamens mostly 3 

 (sometimes i), 2 of them with 2-celled anthers, the other with a i-celled 

 anther; filaments short, often somewhat monadelphous. Ovary 1-3- 

 celled ; style terminal, simple, or lobed ; ovules anatropous. Fruit a 

 pepo, indehiscent, or rarely dehiscent at the summit, or bursting irregu- 

 larly ; or sometimes dry and membranous. Seeds usually flat ; endo- 

 sperm none. About 90 genera and 650 species, mainly of tropical regions. 

 Flowers large, yellow ; prostrate vine. i. Cucurbit a. 



Flowers small, white or greenish ; climbing vines. 



Fruit glabrous ; seeds numerous, horizontal. 2. Melothria. 



Fruit prickly ; seeds i or few, erect or pendulous. 



Fruit dehiscent at the apex or bursting irregularly; several-seeded. 



Leaves 3~7-lobed ; anthers 3. 3. Micrampelis. 



Leaves digitately compound ; anther i. 4. Cyclanthera. 



Fruit indehiscent, i-seeded. 5. Sicyos. 



i. CUCURBITA L. 



Rough prostrate vines, rooting at the nodes, with branched tendrils, usually 

 lobed leaves mostly cordate at the base, and large yellow axillary monoecious flow- 

 ers. Calyx-tube campanulate, usually 5-lobed. Corolla campanulate, 5-lobed to 

 about the middle, the lobes recurving. Staminate flowers with three stamens, the 

 anthers linear, more or less united, and no pistil. Pistillate flowers with I pistil; 

 ovary oblong with 3-5 many-ovuled placentae; style short, thick; stigmas 3-5. 

 each 2-lobed. papillose; staminodia 3. Fruit large, fleshy, with a thick rind, 

 many-seeded, indehiscent. [The Latin name of the gourd.] About 10 species, 

 natives of America, Asia, and Africa. Besides the following, some 6 others occur 

 in the southern U. S. 



i. Cucurbita foetidissima H. B. K. MISSOURI GOURD. (I. F. f. 3485.) 

 Stem stout, rough, hirsute. Root large, carrot-shaped. Petioles stout, very 

 rough; leaves ovate-triangular, thick, somewhat fleshy, cordate or truncate at the 

 base, acute, 1-3 dm. long, usually slightly 3-5 -lobed, denticulate, rough above, 

 canescent beneath; peduncles 2-5 cm. long; flowers mostly solitary; corolla 

 6-10 cm. long; pepo globose or globose -ovoid, 5-8 cm. in diameter, smooth, its 

 pulp fibrous and bitter. Dry soil, Neb. to Tex. and Mex., west to southernCal. 

 May-Sept. 



Cucurbita Pepo *" the PUMPKIN, is found occasionally in waste places. 



Citrullus Citrullus (L.) Karst., the WATERMELON, is found escaped from cultivation 

 along river shores in V a - and W. Va. and in the Southern States. 



2. MELOTHRIA L. 



Slender vines, with simple or rarely bifid tendrils, thin leaves, and small white 

 or yellow monoecious flowers, the staminate clustered, the pistillate often solitary. 

 Calyx campanulate, 5 -toothed. Corolla campanulate, deeply 5 -parted. Stamens 

 3 in the staminate flowers, the anthers distinct or slightly united, the pistil want- 

 ing or rudimentary. Fertile flowers with I pistil; ovary ovoid, constricted below 

 the corolla; placentae 3; ovules numerous; style short; stigmas 3, linear. Fruit 

 small, berry-like, pulpy. [From the Greek for some vine, probably Bryonia 

 Cretica.] About 64 species, natives of warm and tropical regions. Besides the 

 following 2 or 3 others occur in the southern U. S. 



i. Melothria pendula L. CREEPING CUCUMBER. (I. F. f. 3486.) Root 

 perennial. Stem slender, branched, glabrous, grooved; leaves nearly orbicular in 

 outline, finely pubescent or scabrous on both sides, cordate at the base, 5-lobed or 

 5-angled, denticulate or dentate; tendrils puberulent; staminate flowers 4-7, race- 

 mose, borne on a peduncle 1-2.5 cm. long; fertile flowers solitary, slender-pedun- 

 cled; corolla greenish white, about 4 mm. broad; fruit ovoid, green, 8-12 mm. long. 

 In thickets. Penn. (Schweinitz, according to Cogniaux), Va. to Fla., Ind., Ky., 

 La. and Mex. June-Sept. 



3. MICRAMPELIS Raf. 



Mostly annual climbing herbs, with branched tendrils, lobed or angled leaves, 

 and small white monoecious flowers. Calyx-tube campanulate, 5-6-lobed. Corolla 



