COMPARATIVE ANATOMY OF THE CUCURBIT ACE^:. 3o 



Fibro-vasculav BiituUes. At the proximal portion of the 

 tendrils the number of the fibro-vascular bundles varies from four 

 to ten, gradually decreasing towards the distal portion. The 

 maximum number of the bundles occurs in Luffa cylindrica, 

 while the minimum is found in Actinostemma racemosum and 

 Gymnostemma cissoides. Luffa acutangula, Gltrullus vulgaris, Benin- 

 casa cerifera, Momordica charantia, Cucurbita Pepo, Cucumis 3Ielo, 

 C. sativus, Lagenaria vulgaris, Tricliosanthes multiloha, T. cucume- 

 roides, T. japonica, Schizopepon bryoniœfoUus, var. japonicus and 

 Melothria japonica have numbers intermediate between the ex- 

 tremes in a descending order. 



CPIAPTEB VII. 



THE ROOT. 



Besides ordinary roots, tubers are met with in some species. 

 They are, however, limited to one genus only, Trichosanthes which 

 thus leads a perennial life, just as Melothria japmnica and Gymno- 

 stemma cissoides preserve their vitality through the winter by means 

 of rhizomes. 



I shall now first take up the investigation of the anatomical 

 structure of the ordinary roots, and then that of the tubers. 



Contoui'. The contour of the root is not diversified like 



