714 MONOECIA SYNGENESIA. Lllffo, 



dicels have a glandular bracte near the base, and are articu- 

 lated a little above it. Female flowers rather larger, axil- 

 lary, solitary, peduncled. JFruit clavate, obtuse, pretty 

 smooth, ten-angled ; angles sharp but smooth, about a foot 

 long-, and from two to three inches in diameter ; when ripe dry 

 and replete with dry fibres. Seeds black, irregularly pitted. 



The half grown fruit is one of the best native vegetables we 

 have iu India ; the natives use it much in their curries; when 

 peeled, for the skin is hard, boiled, and dressed with butter, 

 pepper, and salt, they are little inferior to green pease. 



Note. There is the rudiment of a lid at the apex of the 

 fruit of the species, but it never separates spontaneously ; this 

 circumstance is to be attended to, to distinguish it from Cn- 

 cujnis operculatus. 



3. L. clavata. R. 



Leaves superficially from five to seven-angled, the posterior 

 lobes rounded, margins minutely-dentate. Male jloicers on 

 long peduncled racemes; ihe female ones solitary ;yrMi< cla- 

 vate, very long and slender. 



A native of the interior parts of Hindoostban. The seeds 

 were sent by Colonel Alexander Kyd at Allahabad to the 

 Botanic garden at Calcutta, where the plants blossom and 

 produce fruit during the cold season. 



Stem scandent, several fathoms long, five-sided, smooth. 

 Leaves slightly from five to seven-lobed ; posterior lobes 

 rounded, the rest more acute, margin sligiitly dentate, pretty 

 smooth on both sides, about six inches each way, when full 

 grown. Flowers very long, of a deep yellow. The male ones 

 on axillary, long-peduncled racemes. The female ones axil- 

 lary, solitary, supported on peduncles about the length of the 

 germ. Bractes of tiie male flowei's solitary, one-flowered, 

 oval, small, fleshy, glandular, inserted on the pedicel. Fruit 

 pendulous, of a long, slender, clavate shape, three-celled, 

 when ripe dry, and the partitions composed of dry fibres. 

 Seeds numerous, thin, sharp-edged, lodged iu the thickened 



