CucuMis. LIX. CUCURBITACE^. 271 



cor. as above; abortive fil. 3, distiDct, minute ; style very short ; stig. 

 2, large ; fruit roiindish, inflated, echinate, 4-seeded. — (1) A climbing 

 herb with branched tendrils. 



E. LOBATA. T. & G. (Sicyos. Mlchx. Momordica echinata. MuM.) 

 A smoothish, running vine, in rich river soils, Can. to Penn. and Mo. 

 Stem deeply furrowed, with long, 3-parted tendrils placed nearly opposite the 

 long petioles. Leaves membranaceous, palmately 5-lobed, cordate at base, 

 lobes acuminate, denticulate. Flowers small, white, the barren ones very 

 numerous, in axillary racemes often If long ; fertile ones solitary or several, 

 situated at the base of the raceme. Fruit 1 — 2' in length, setose-echinate, at 

 length dry and membranaceous, with 4 large seeds. Jl. — Sept. 



3. MELOTHRIA. 



(r)'. uriXov.a. melon, ^piog, a certain food. 



Flowers 9 5 J* or c? . Calyx infundibuliform-campanulate, limb 

 in 5 subulate segments ; petals 5, united into a campanulate corolla. 

 cJ* Stamens 5, triadelphous. 9 Stigmas 3 ; fruit a berry, ovoid, small, 

 many-seeded. — Tendrils simple. 



M. PENDULA. 



Lvs. roundish-cordate, 5-lobed or angled, slightly hispid ; fls. axillary, the 

 sterile in small racemes, the fertile solitary, on long peduncles. — N. Y. to Ga. 

 and La. A slender vine, climbing over other vegetables. Leaves small (1 — 2' 

 diam.) Flowers small, yellowish. Style short, surrounded by a cup-shaped 

 disk. Fruit small, oval. Jl. 



4. MOMORDICA. 



Lat. mordeo, mmnordi, to chew ; from the chewed appeaiance of the seeds. 



Flowers c?. c?* Calyx 5-cleft ; petals 5, united at base; stamens 5, 

 triadelphous. 9 Calyx and corolla as in the (f ; style 3-cleft ; pepo 

 fleshy, bursting elastically ; seeds compressed, with a fleshy arillus. 



M. BalsamIna. Comvwn Balsam Apple. — Lis. palmately 5-lobed, dentate, 

 naked, shining ; ped. solitary, filiform, 1-flowered, with an orbicular-cordate, 

 dentate bract above the middle ; fr. roundish-ovoid, angular, tuberculate, burst- 

 ing elastically on one side. — From E. Indies. Occasionally cultivated for the 

 balsamic and vulnerary i'ruit. Stem slender, climbing by simple tendrils. 

 Flowers pale-yellow. Fruit orange-color, as large as a goose-egg. Aug. 



5. CUCtJMIS. 



Said to lie from the Celtic cuce, a hollow vessel. 



Flowers t? or ? . Calyx tubular-campanulate, with subulate seg- 

 ments ; corolla deeply 5-parted. c? Stamens 5. triadelphous. 9 Style 

 short ; stigmas 3, thick, 2-lobed ; pepo fleshy, indehiscent ; seeds 

 ovate, flat, acute and not margined at the edge. — Creeping., or climb- 

 ing by tendrils. Fls. axillary., solitary., yellow. 



1. C. .sATiv0s. Cucumber. — St. prostrate, rough; tendrils simple; lvs. sub- 

 cordate, palmately 5-angled or lobed, lobes subentire, acute, terminal one long- 

 est; /;•. oblong, obtusely prismatic, prickly, on a short peduncle. — (i) Native 

 of Tartary and India, whence it was first brought to England in 1573. It is 

 now universally cultivated for the table, either fresh or pickled. Gathered and 

 eaten before maturity. Jn. — Sept. — Many varieties. 



2. C. Melo. Musk Melon. — St. prostrate, rough ; tendrils simple ; lvs. sub- 

 cordate, roundish, obtuse, palmately 5-angled, lobes rounded, obtuse, obscurely 

 denticulate ; /s. 9 $ c^, the ^ on short peduncles ; //•. oval or subglobose, 

 longitudinally torulose. — Native of Asia, whence it was first brought to Eng- 

 land in 1570." Generally cultivated for the juicy, yellowish, delicately flavored 

 flesh of the mature fruit. Jn. Jl. — Varieties numerous. 



