312 



CUCURBITACE^. 



[Diclinous Exogens. 



the former of these two writers a very particular account of the structure of the Order 

 has been given m the Mimoires du Museum. He adopts the opinion of Jussieu, that the 

 apparent corolla of these plants is really a calyx, considering the apparent calyx to be 

 mei'ely certain external appendages. In discussing the affinities of the Order, which he 

 does much at length, he remarks, that Carica (now the type of the Order Papayads) should 



be excluded ; that 



'^~^^^~-\ ^r^l/ V\# — -^1* the tendrils of Cu- 



' " /- . -- ^ curbits are trans- 



formed stipules, 

 but scarcely analo- 

 gous to the stipules 

 of Passionflowers ; 

 that there is an 

 affinity between the 

 Order and Bell- 

 worts, manifested 

 in the perigynous 

 insertion of the sta- 

 mens, the inferior 

 ovary, the single 

 style with several 

 stigmas,the quinary 

 division of the flow- 

 er connected with 

 the ternary division 

 of the finiit, and, 

 finally, some ana- 

 logy in the nature 

 Fig. CCXVII. of the floral enve- 



lopes. He, however, chiefly insists upon their affinity with Onagrads, \\\\h which, 

 including Myrobalans, they agi'ee in theu' definite perigynous stamens, single style, 

 exalbuminous seeds, fleshy fi'uit, and occasionally in the unisexual flowers and 

 climbuig stem, bemg connected in the latter point of view ^\ith Onagrads thi'ough 

 Gronovia, a climbing genus then referred to that Order. He also points out the 

 further connection that exists between Cucm'bits and Onagrads tlu'ough Loasads, which, 

 with an undoubted affinity to the latter, have the habit of the former, especially in the 

 genus Gronovia which has just ^been named. With regard to the supposed affinity of 

 Cucm'bits to Mp-tles, this is founded upon the characters of a small gi'oup, called 

 Nandhu-obese, consistmg of plants having the habit of Cucurbits, but some resemblance 

 in the form of the fmit to that of Lecythids, which border closely upon M^Ttles. 



The true aSinity of Cucm'bits seems, however, to be •nith diclinous Orders. Into 

 Lardizabalads they run through Zanonia ; the relation to Spurgewoits is indicated by the 

 chmbing habit and the ternary plan of structiu'e observable in the ovary of both Orders, 

 coupled with their dismiited sexes ; and then to Papayads they belong in everything 

 except theu' adlierent ovary and exalbuminous seeds. 



The plants called Nhanc^'obese by Auguste de St. Hilaire, whom Endlicher follows, 

 do not appear to differ essentially from other Cucurbits. Zanonia indeed, with its 

 panicles of small flowers and capsules openmg at the point with 3 valves, has a 

 peculiar habit approaching Tetrameles, and so connecting this Order with Datiscads ; 

 but it is associated with the genus Feuillea, wlaicli seems to be a Gom'd and 

 nothing else, notA\-ithstanding its axillary tendrils. The characters relied ujiion to 

 distmguish Ts^handirobete as an Order are, 1. a 3-celled ovary ; 2. the position of the 

 ovules ; 3. the distinct styles ; 4. the oblong anthers and axillary not lateral tendrils. 

 But there does not appear to be any diff'erence between the placentation of Zanonia 

 and common Cucm'bitaceous plants ; its 3 cells are formed by the adhesion of 

 3 projecting parietal placentae ; 2. if the o^'ules of Feuillea are ascending, those of 

 Zanonia are horizontal ; 3. the styles of Luffa are hardly united, and if it were 

 otherwise, such a character would not be entitled to much attention ; 4. the anthers 

 of Zanonia and Feuillea are not ahke, and those of the latter genus do not seem 

 to be essentially different from those of Telfau'ia, Zelmeria, and Mukia. As to 

 the supposed axillary stipules of Nhandn'obete I can only say that they are represented 

 to be lateral in M. Tm'pin's figm'e of Feuillea hederacea, dra\Mi expressly to illustrate 

 this supposed Order, and that they are certainly so m Z. cissoides and clavigera. 



Accordmg to INI. Payer, the tendrils of Cucm'bits are the two lateral fibrovascular 

 bvmdles out of the 3 which each leaf forms in its axil. — Ann. Be. 3 ser. III. 164. 



Fig CCXVII.— Cucumis Melo. 1 . ^ flower and leaf ; 2. a section of a ^J flower ; 3, the stamens. 



