148 cucurbitace^e. (gourd family.) 



4. P. angustifolia, Swartz. Lower leaves mostly 3-lobed, with the lobes 

 lanceolate, obtuse, and entire ; upper leaves simple, lanceolate, and acute ; peti- 

 oles short, biglandnlat ; flowers small, solitary or by pairs, the peduncles short 

 and bractless ; petals none — South Florida. — Stem l°-2° long. Leaves 

 sometimes entire. Flowers 4" - 6" wide, yellowish. Berry purple, as large as 

 a pea. Filaments of the crown in 2 rows. Stamens occasionally 4. Stipules 

 subulate. 



5. P. "Warei, Nutt. Leaves on short biglandalar petioles ; the lower ones 

 3-lobed, acute ; the upper ovate or oblong, undivided; stipules subulate ; pedun- 

 cles commonly by pairs, about the length of the petioles ; flowers very small ; 

 segments of the crown few, filiform, shorter than the calyx. — South Florida. — 

 Probably identical with P. pallida of the West Indies. 



Order CI. CUCURBITACEiE. (Gourd Family.) 



Herbs, with succulent stems, climbing by means of lateral tendrils. 

 Leaves alternate, palmately veined or lobed. Flowers axillary, monoe- 

 cious or dioecious. — Calyx 5-toothcd, adnate to the ovary. Corolla of 5 

 distinct, or more or less united petals, coherent with the calyx. Stamens 

 3 - . r >, free or variously united. Anthers long, straight or tortuous, com- 

 monly connate. Ovary 1 - 3-celled. Stigmas 3. Fruit (prpo) fleshy or 

 pulpy, 1 - .3-celled. Seeds compressed, anatropous, without albumen. 

 Cotyledons leafy. 



Synopsis. 



1. BRYONIA. Petals 5, distinct, or united at the base. Ovary 3-celled. Fruit 3-seeded, 



smooth. 



2. MKI.OTIIUIA. Petals' 5, united into a canipanulate corolla. Ovary 3-celled. Fruit 



many -seeded, smooth. 



3. S1CYOS. I'etals 5, united at the base into a rotate corolla. Ovary 1-celled. Fruit 1- 



seeded, hispid. 



1. BRYONIA, L. 



Flowers monoecious or ditceious. Calyx 5-toothed. Petals 5, distinct, or 

 united at the ba e. Stamens 5, triadelphous i anthers tortuous. Style mostly 

 3-cleft Fruit ovate or globose, smooth, few-seeded. 



1 B. Boykinii, Torr. & Gray Rough-pubescent ; leaves broadly Cor- 

 date, 8 - 5-lobed ; the lateral lobefl entire or" toothed, the middle one cuspidate j 



sterile :md fertile flowers intermixed. S - S in a cluster, short pedieelled ; .styles 



unit, ,i ; fruit .". seeded ; the seeds .•! toothed at the base. — River-banks, Georgia, 



and westward June and July. — Stems elongated. Flowers greenish-white. 

 Berry crimson. 



2. MELOTHRIA, L. 



Flowers polygamous or monceciOBS. Calyx of the fertile flower narrowed 

 above tho ovarv ; the sterile ones cainpanulate. Petals 5, united into a campanu- 



