than the combined width of the sterile cells; groove between the sterile cells 

 narrow to rather wide and often rather deep, with a slight groove on each side 

 between the fertile and sterile cells. 



Low moist or wet grounds in cen. and e. Tex. and Okla. (Waterfall), spring; 

 from Pa. to Kan., s. to Fla. and Tex. 



Var. Fernaldii Dyal. Corolla slightly larger than in var. radiata; fruit more 

 elongate, usually pubescent; fertile cell rounded on the dorsal side, much wider 

 than the combined width of the slender sterile cells; groove between sterile cells 

 slight or wanting. Low moist places in e. Tex.; from Conn, and Pa., s. to N.C., 

 w. to Mo. and Tex. 



Fam. 127. Cucurbitaceae Juss. Gourd Family 



Plants herbaceous, annual or perennial; stems with tendrils, trailing or climbing; 

 leaves alternate, petiolate, simple or compound; flowers mostly unisexual, with 

 male and female flowers on the same or separate plants, regular or nearly so, 

 solitary to fasciculate or in racemose or corymbose inflorescences; calyx tube 

 wholly adnate to the ovary; corolla adnate at base to the calyx, usually 5-merous, 

 sympetalous or the petals nearly distinct; stamens 3 or 5, in the latter case 

 usually appearing to be 3, four of the anthers being united in pairs; style 1, the 

 stigmas usually 3; ovary 1- to 4-celled; fruits various. 



About 650 species in about 110 genera throughout the world. 



A family of great economic importance that produces the world's melons, 

 squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers and gourds. Most of our cucurbits can be found 

 at times in moist or even wettish situations. The ones given here, however, are 

 considered by us to be more tolerant of such habitats. 



1. Seeds numerous in each fruit (2) 



1. Seeds less than 10 in each fruit or (if more than 10) the fruit with spines 



or prickles (3) 



2(1). Corolla campanulate, 5-lobed to about the middle; fruit obovoid, hard- 

 shelled, to about 9 cm. long L Cucurbita 



2. Corolla rotate to campanulate, deeply 5-parted to near the base; fruit ovoid 



to ellipsoid, soft, 1-2 cm. long 1. Melothria 



3(1). Ovary 3-celled. usually with a solitary ovule ascending to erect from the 

 base of each cell; fruit smooth, fleshy 3. Cayaponia 



3. Ovary 1- or 2-celled; fruit with spines or prickles or (if smooth) with only 



1 seed (4) 



4(3). Fruit filled with a solitary seed, indehiscent 6. Sicyos 



4. Fruit with several seeds, variously dehiscent (5) 



5(4). Fruit dry, dehiscing by pores, the spines glandular-hirsute; seeds corru- 

 gated 4. Echinopepon 



5. Fruit baccate, the apex irregularly lacerate, the spines not hirsute; seeds 



smooth 5. Echinocystis 



1. Cucurbita L. 



About 15 species confined to America. 

 1. Cucurbita texana Gray. Texas gourd. 



Plant annual, producing slender long-running and climbing leafy stems with 

 abundant tendrils; leaves broadly ovate to subreniform in outline, angled to 

 distinctly lobed, pubescent, the margins sharp-serrate, to about 15 cm. long, 

 nearly as wide as long; calyx lobes short and slender; corolla yellow, usually 



1569 



