CUCUMIS. 



Stems slender, climbing, very scabrous, with white, frequently hair- 

 bearing glands. Leaves cordate, acuminate, somewhat 5-lobed, or 

 5-angled ; angles acute ; upper surface very hairy, under less so, margins 

 undulately crenate, minutely toothed. Male flowers 1 or 2 together ; 

 female solitary. Calyx of each very hairy. — Fruit oval, oblong, 

 rounded at both ends, from 2-3 inches long, and about half as broad, 

 marked with narrow white stripes ; flesh very bitter. Itoyle. — Similar 

 in quality to Colocynth. 



173. C. pseudo-colocynthis Boyle IUustr. 220. t. 4-7. f. 2.b. — 

 Plains of northern India, where it is called " Indrayun " and 

 " Bisloombha." 



Stems slender, prostrate and radiating, very scabrous. Leaves sca- 

 brous on both sides, with white gland-like hair-bearing tubercles, 

 5-lobed ; lobes as well as the angles rounded, the former slightly toothed, 

 the terminal one broader, cuneate, subdivided into 3 smaller lobules. 

 Male flowers generally solitary, as are the female, and long peduncled. 

 Calyx tube oblong, hispid ; segments narrow, linear, and pointed. Fruit 

 oblong and smooth, marked with 8 broad stripes. Flesh very bitter. 

 Royle. — Substituted in Northern India for the true Colocynth. 



LUFFA. 



$ . Flowers panicled, yellow. Tube of calyx hemi- 

 spherical ; segments longer than the tube. Petals distinct, 

 dropping off by the base. Stamens 5, distinct, anthers very 

 wavy. j . Flowers solitary. Tube of calyx oblong-clavate ; 

 segments shorter than the tube. Stamens abortive. Stigmas 

 reniform. Gourd ovate, 3-celled, fibrous internally, opercu- 

 late. 



174. L. amara Roxb.fl. ind. iii. 715. — Cucumis indicus, &c. 

 Pluk. t. 172. f. 1. — Hedges and dry uncultivated places in the 

 East Indies. 



Stems several, slender, running to a great extent, but with few 

 branches, pretty smooth, 5-sided. Tendrils 3-cleft. Leaves slightly 

 5-7-lobed, rough ; stipules axillary, solitary, cordate, with glandular 

 marks on one side. Male flowers pretty large, yellow, on long, erect, 

 axillary racemes ; the pedicels with a glandular bract near the base, and 

 articulated a little above it. Female flowers rather larger, axillary, 

 solitary, peduncled. Fruit oblong, 3 or 4 inches long, and 1 in dia- 

 meter, tapering equally towards each end, 10-angled, when ripe dry, 

 gray, and filled with dry fibres ; the operculum deciduous. Seeds 

 blackish gray, with elevated minute black dots. — Every part extremely 

 bitter. Fruit violently cathartic and emetic. Juice of roasted young 

 fruit applied to the temples by the natives of India to cure headach. 

 Ripe seeds, either in infusion or substance used by them to vomit and 

 purge. 



175. L. Bindaal Roxb.fl. ind. iii. 717. — Hindostan. 



Dioecious, climbing. Leaves 5-angled, toothed. Male flowers in 

 racemes. Females solitary. Fruit round, echinate, with long firm 

 85 G 3 



