tAiffa CUCURBIT ACEAE TrichosantheS 



2. Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem. ff/Xv (Ssu Kua; Fiber Squash) (B.M.953). Climbing 

 annual; fls. yellow, VII-IX; fr. X. Eastern tropics; locally in Hun., Ki. Cultivat- 

 ed, fruit. 



4. Lagenaria Ser. ^M.M (Hu Lu Shu) 

 A coarse annual vine with branched tendrils, ovate to orbicular cordate I vs., the 

 petiole bearing 2 glands at the top, and solitary white showy fls. ; anthers slightly 

 cohering or connate: fr. fleshy, becoming dry. One species, in the Old World tropics. 

 (Latin: lagena, a flask; from the shape of the fruit.) 



1. Lag-enaria siceraria (Molina) Standi. (L. leucantha (Duch.) Rusby) White-flowered 

 Gourd WA (Hu Lu) (B.M.954). Climbing annual; fls. white, VIII-IX; fr. IX-X. 

 Eastern tropics; locally in Hun., Ki., Ku. Cultivated, fruit. Fig. 360. 



5. Citrullus Neck. MJKM (Hsi Kua Shu) 

 Monoecious hispid or scabrous annual or perennial long-running vines with branch- 

 ed tendrils, deeply pinnatifid Ivs. and solitary light yellow fls. ; corolla campanulate or 

 rotate, cleft nearly to the base; anthers free or nearly so: fr. large, smooth, fleshy and 

 edible. 4 species, in tropical Africa and perhaps one in Asia; one cultivated in China. 

 (Latin: diminutive of Citrus; from a fancied resemblance of the fruit to that of the 

 citron tree.) 



1. Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. Watermelon Hffi (Hsi Kua; Western Melon) (B.M.954). 

 Trailing annual; fls. light yellow, VI- VII; fr. VIII-IX. Tropical and southern 

 Africa; locally in An., Che., Hun., Hup., Ki., Ku. Cultivated, fruit. Fig. 361. 



6. Cucumis Linn. ^JJIvK (Hu Kua Shu) 

 Hispid or scabrous monoecious annual or perennial vines with unbranched tendrils, 

 simple 3-7-lobed or -angled Ivs. and yellow fls.; the pistillate solitary; the staminate 

 clustered; anthers free: fr. fleshy and edible, glabrous, pubescent or echinate. 30 

 species, in warm countries, mostly Africa; 3 in China. (The Latin name for a plant 

 with cucumber-like odor.) 



Key to the Species 



Fr. not prickly, often furrowed, with musky odor 1 • C. melo 



Fr. prickly, often elongated, without musky odor 2. C. sativus 



1. Cucumis melo Linn. Muskmelon §jH (Hsiang Kua; Fragrant Melon) (B.M.955). 

 Trailing annual; fls. yellow, VII-VIII; fr. VIII-IX. Central Asia; locally in An., 

 Che., Hun., Hup., Ki., Ku. Cultivated, fruit. 



2. Cucumis sativus Linn. Cucumber $JH (Hu Kua; Foreign Melon) (B.M.955). Climb- 

 ing annual; fls. yellow, VI-VIII; fr. VII-IX. Southern Asia; locally in An., Che., 

 Hun., Hup., Ki., Ku. Cultivated, fruit. Fig. 362. 



7. Trichosanthes Linn. ^HK (Kua Lii Shu) 

 Herbaceous vines with lobed Ivs., sometimes tuberous roots, and white fls.; the 

 staminate in racemes; the pistillate solitary; calyx long-tubular; corolla lobes long- 

 fimbriate: anthers connate: fr. fleshy, smooth. 40 species, from India and Japan to 



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