352 CUCURBITACEAE. 



1. CUCURBITA L. 



Rough prostrate vines, rooting at the nodes, with 

 branched tendrils, usually lobed leaves which are often 

 cordate at the base, and large yellow axillary monoecious 

 flowers. Calyx-tube campanulate, usually 5-lobed. Co- 

 rolla campanulate, 5-lobed to about the middle, the 

 lobes recurving. Staminate flowers with 3 stamens, the 

 anthers linear, more or less united. Pistillate flowers 

 with 1 pistil; ovary oblong, with 3-5 many-ovuled pla- 

 centae; style short, thick; stigmas 3-5, each 2-lobed, 

 papillose; staminodia 3. Fruit large, fleshy, with a thick 

 rind, many-seeded, indehiscent. 



1. C. foetidissima H. B. K. (Calabazilla or Mock-orange.) 

 Stems stout, rough, hirsute, trailing to a length of 2-5 m.; root 

 very large, carrot-shaped; leaves ovate-triangular, cordate or trun- 

 cate at the base, acute at the apex, 1-3 dm. long, denticulate, usually 

 slightly 3-5-lobed, rough above, canescent beneath, on stout petioles, 

 8-15 cm. long; peduncles 2.5-5 cm. long; flowers mostly solitary; 

 corolla 7-10 cm. long; pepo globose, 5-10 cm. in diameter, smooth. 



Frequent on dry sandy soil throughout our range. 



2. MICRAMPELIS Raf. 



Mostly climbing herbs, with branched tendrils, lobed 

 divided or angled leaves, and small white or greenish- 

 white monoecious flowers. Calyx-tube campanulate, 

 5-6-toothed. Corolla very deeply 5-6-parted. Sta- 

 mens 3 in the staminate flowers; the anthers more or less 

 coherent. Pistillate flowers with a 2-4-celled ovary; 

 style very short; stigma hemispheric or lobed. Fruit 

 fleshy or dry at maturity, densely spiny, 1-2-celled, 

 dehiscent at the summit, 



1. M. macrocarpa Greene. Nearly glabrous; stems much 

 branched, climbing over shrubs, from a very large fusiform root; 

 leaves about 1-1.5 dm. broad, with a closed sinus, 5-cleft to the 

 middle or below it, the divisions slightly 3-5-lobed, rnucronate; 

 fruit ovoid-oblong, 8-12 cm. long, usually densely echinate with 

 stout but rather soft spines, the longest often 5 cm. long, usually 

 12-14-seeded; seed ovoid, 18 mm. long, light brown, encircled by a 

 dark marginal line. 



Frequent in the hills and in the chaparral belt of all the moun- 

 tains. February-May. Commonly called chilicothe or wild cu- 

 cumber. 



