270 LIX. CUCURBIT ACE^. Echinocystis. 



Ova. (pist. fls.) wineed, 3-celled, with 3 large placentae meeting in the axis. Stig. 3, 2-lobed, somewhat 

 Fr. capsular, winged, 3-celled, many-seeded. Sds. minute, without albumen. [spiral. 



Genera 3, species 159, common in the ^Vest Indies, S. America and East Indies— none N. Americaa. 

 The roots are astringent and slightly bitter. 



DIPLOCLINIUM. Lindl. 



G?\ 6tn\oos, double, kXivt), couch; alluding to the double placentae. 



Fls. <? •— d^ Sepals orbicular, colored like the petals, but larger ; 

 pet. oblong, acute ; sta. combined in a column ; anth. in a globose 

 head. 9 Sepals 3, lanceolate, larger than the 2 petals ; stig. lobes 

 distinct, spiral, erect ; caps, wings unequal ; placentae double, or two 

 in each cell. — Evergreen^ succule/it undershrubs. 



D. EvANsiANCM. Lindl. (Begonia discolor. Willd. and \st edit.) — Glabrous ; 

 St. branched, tumid and colored at the joints, succulent; Ivs. large, slightly an- 

 gular, mucronate-serrate, cordate-ovate, very unequal at base, petiolate, with 

 weak, scattered prickles, and straight, red veins, the under surface deeply red- 

 dened ; Jis. pink-colored in all their parts except the golden yellow anthers and 

 stigmas ; 9 larger than the J* and on pedimcles twice as long. — From China, -f 



Order LIX. CUCURBITACE^.— Cucurbits. 



Herhs succulent, creeping or climbing by tendrils. 



Lvs. alternaie, palmately-veined, rough. Fls. monoecious or polygamous, never blue. 



Cal. 5-toothea. [reticulated veins. 



Cor.— Petals 5, united with each other and cohering to the calyx, very cellular, strongly marked with 



Sta. 5, distinct, more generally cohering in 3 sets. Anth. very long and wavy or twisted. 



Ova. inferior, l-celled, with 3 parietal placenta; often filling the cells. 



Dr. a pepo or membranous. Seeds flat, with no albumen, often ariled. 



Genera 56, species 270, natives of tropical regions, only a few being found m the temperate zones of 

 Europe and America. A highly important order of plants, aflbrding some of the most delicious and 

 nutritive of fruits. A bitter, laxative principle pervades the group, which is so concentrated in a few as 

 to render them actively medicinal. The officinal colocynth is prepared from the pulp of Cucumis Colo- 

 cynthis, a powerful drastic poison. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 



^ l-seeded Sicyos. l 



{ J Fruit membranaceous, echinate, N-seeded Echinocystis. 2 



white. {Fruit a pepo with a ligneous, smooth rind. Lagenaria. 6 



^ Seeds thin at edge Cucumis. 5 



^ indehiscent. X Seeds thick at edge Cucuroita. 7 



< Fruit a pepo, ( dehiscing elastically on one side Momordica. 4 



yellow. \ Fruit a small, oval, many-seeded berry Melothria. 3 



1. SICYOS. 



Gr. aiKVOi, the ancient name of the cucumber. 



Flowers c? . d^ Calyx 5-toothed ; corolla rotate, 5-petaled ; stamens 

 5, monadelphous or at length triadelphous ; anthers contorted. 9 

 Calyx 5-toothed, campanulate ; petals 5, united at base into a cam- 

 panulate corolla : styles 3, united at base ; fruit ovate, membrana- 

 ceous, hispid or echinate, with 1 large, compressed seed. — (D Climb- 

 ing herbs.) with compound tendrils. Sterile and fertile fls. in the same axils. 



S. ANGULATUS. Singlc-seed Cucnmt)er. 



St. branching, hairy; Zrs. roundish, cordate with an obtuse sinus, 5-angled 

 or 5-lobed, lobes acuminate, denticulate ; 9 niuch smaller than the J*. — Can. 

 and U. S. A weak, climbing vine, with long, spiral, branching tendrils. Leaves 

 3 — 4' broad, alternate, on long stalks. Flowers whitish, marked with green 

 lines, the barren ones in long-pedunculate racemes. Fruit §' long, ovate, spi- 

 nous, 8 — 10 together in a crowded cluster, each with one large seed. Jl. 



2. ECHINOCYSTIS. Torr. & Gray. 



Gr. e^ivog, sea urchin, kvcttis, bladder; alluding to the spiny, inflated fruit. 



Flowers monoecious. Sterile fl. — Calyx of 6 filiform-subulate seg- 

 ments, shorter than the corolla : petals 6. united at base into a rotate- 

 campanulate corolla ; stamens 3, diadelphous. Fertile fl. — Cal. and 



