2 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



bud more vigorous than theirs. These tendrils reach out 

 Hke fingers till they catch some support. Then the tips coil 

 around any obstacle, get a good grip and by increase of tension 

 pull the plant nearer to the support. 



Now, as it might happen that the constant torsion in one 

 direction would break the tendril, it, after a while, reverses 

 the direction of the twist, so that one commonly finds in the 

 middle of the helix, a short, straight piece. 



The squirting cucumber (Momordica elaterium) is one of 

 the freaks of this interesting family. It is a plant of the 

 Mediteranean region of Europe, with small yellow flowers. 

 These are followed by a cucumber-like fruit, beset with weak 

 prickless. The pedicel projecting into the wall substance of 

 the fruit, terminates in an enlarged portion that may be com- 

 pared to a bottle stopper. The fruits are pendent. When 

 ripe, the tissues of the wall break down, the stopper is released, 

 and the fruit disengaged from the vine. Simultaneously, 

 there is ejected from the opening a jet of mucilaginous liquid, 

 carrying the seeds in suspension. It is quite likely that the 

 emulsion is thrown upon some grazing animal, and later rub- 

 bed off in some new locality — ensuring distribution and 

 changed environment. 



While so many of the Cucurbits are in part edible, there 

 are noxious members among them, and even the familiar 

 table fruits bear watching, say as regards their rind. Most 

 of them are acid, and some are powerful purgatives, notably 

 colocynth or bitter apple, supposed to be the Wild Gourd of 

 Scripture. As every one knows, especially at the South, 

 gourds are natural dippers, pitchers, cups and basins, almost 

 ready to hand, and often beautiful from their natural curves 

 and colors. 



The "gaudy melon flower — the little children's dower" 

 of Browning, is not so brilliant or gorgeous as that of our 

 squash, a thing of beauty, a tent of cloth of gold. Its yellow 



