27-2 LIX. CUCURBITACEjE. Cucurbita. 



3. C. Anguria. Priddy Cncumbcr. — SI. prostrate, slender, hispid ; tendrils 

 simple ; Ivs. palmatelv and deeply sinuate-lobed, cordate at base ; fr. oval-ovoid 

 or sabglobose, echinate. — ® Native of Jamaica. Cultivated for the green fruit, 

 M-hich is aboiit the size of a hen's egg, and used for pickles. Jl. Aug. 



4. C. CiTRULLUS. Ser. (Cucurbita. Linn.) Wat^r Melon.— St. prostrate, slen- 

 der, hairy; tendrils branching; Its. palmately 5-lobed, very glaucous beneath, 

 lobes mostly sinuate-pinnatifid, all the segments obtuse ; fis. solitar>^ on hairy 

 peduncles, bracted at base; ft: elliptical, smooth, discolored.— ® Native of 

 Africa and India. Generally cultivated for its large and delicious fruit. Jn. — Aug. 



5. C. CoLOCYNTHis. CoIoci/uth.—St. prostrate, subhispid ; Ivs. cordate-ovate, 

 cleft into many obtuse lobes, hairy-canescent beneath; tendrils short ;/.s. axillary, 

 pedunculate ; Q with a globose, hispid calyx tube and campanulate limb, with 

 small petals ; fr. globose, yellow when ripe, about as large as an orange, and 

 intolerably bitter. The extract is the colocynth of the shops, poisonous, but 

 medicinal. — From Japan. 



6. LAGENARIA. Ser. 



Gr. Xaytvoi, a flagon or bottle ; from the form of the fruit. 



Flowers c?. Calyx campanulate, 5-toothed ; petals 5, obovate. <^ 

 Stamens 5, triadelphous ; anthers very long, contorted. 9 Stigmas 

 3. thick, 2-lobed, subsessile ; pepo ligneous, 1 -celled : seeds ariled, ob- 

 cordate, compressed, margin tumid. — Mostly climbing by tendrils. 



L. VULGARIS. Ser. Calabash. Botlle Gm//y7.— Softly pubescent ; st. climbing 

 by branching tendrils ; lis. roundish-cordate, abruptly acuminate, denticulate, 

 with 2 glands beneath at base ; fis. axillary, solitary, pedunculate ; fr. clavate, 

 ventricose, at length smooth. — (i) Native within the tropics, often cultivated — 

 the hard, woody rind of the fruit being used as ladles, bottles, &c. Flowers 

 white Jl. Aug. 



7. CUCURBITA. 



A Latin word, signifying a vessel ; from the form of the fruit of some species. 



Flowers <?. Corolla campanulate ; petals united and coherent with 

 the calyx, c? Calyx 5-toothed ; stamens 5, triadelplious, anthers syn- 

 genecious, straight, parallel. 9 Calyx 5-toothed, upper part decidu- 

 ous after flowering; stigmas 3, thick, 2-lobed: pepo fleshy or ligne- 

 ous, 3 — 5-celled ; seeds "thickened at margin, obovate, compressed, 

 smooth. — Fis. mostly yellow. 



1. C. Pepo. Pumpkin.— His^idi and scabrous; st. procumbent; tendrils 

 branched ; Ivs. (very large) cordate, palmately 5-lobed or angled, denticulate ; 

 /s. axillary, c^ long-pedunculate ; /r. very large, roundish or oblong, smooth, 

 furrowed and torulose.— Native' of the'Levant. Long cultivated as a useful 

 kitchen vegetable or for cattle. Flowers large, yellow. Fruit sometimes 3f 

 diam., yellow when mature, yielding sugar abundantly. Jl. 



2. C. Melopepo. Flat Squash.— HsLiry ; 5/. procumbent, with branched ten- 

 drils ; Ivs. cordate, palmately somewhat 5-lobed, denticulate ; Jls. pedunculate ; 

 //•. depressed-orbicular, the "margin mostly torulose or tumid, smooth or warty. 

 — Native country unknown. Cultivated for its fruit, a well known kitchen ve- 

 getable. There are many varieties in respect to the fruit. 



3. C. VERRUCOSA. Warted Squash. Club Squash. Crook-neck Squash, cf^c. — 

 Hairv, procumbent ; Irs. cordate, palmately and deeply 5-lobed, denticulate, 

 terminal lobe narrowed at base ; Jls. pedunculate, large ; fr. roundish elliptic, or 

 clavate, often elongated and incurved at base.—® Mentioned by Nuttall as long 

 cultivated by the Indians west of the Mississippi. Common in our gardens, 

 with numerous well known varieties of the fruit. Jl. 



4. C. oviFERA. Eu-^ Squash.— Lvs. cordate, angular, 5-lobed, denticulate, 

 pubescent; ral. obovate, with a short neck, limb deciduous after flowering; fr. 

 obovate, striped with lines lengthwi.se.— Native of Astrakan. Herbage anA 

 flowers similar to those of C. pepo^ but less scabrous. 



