TENDEILS IN SOME CUCUKBITACEAE. 259 



MOMORDICA ECHINATA. 



Both simple and branched two-armed tendrils are found on the 

 same plant. The disposition of the nodal organs is as in Citrullus 

 vulgaris except that the leaf-like appendage is absent. 



The stem and the petiole show the usual structure, the latter 

 with only seven vascular bundles. 



The base of the tendril, both in branched and unbranched speci- 

 mens is four-Iobed and has four bundles only. The arms in the case 

 of the branched tendrils, and the upper portion of the tendril in the 

 case of the simple ones, possess a dorsiventral outline showing a dis 

 tinct ventral groove and five bundles arranged in a horse-shoe manner. 



The vascular connections are like those of Luffa acutangula and 

 the rest, already described or to be described later. 



MOMORDICA CHARANTIA. 



Tendrils are all simple. To the right of the tendril at the node 

 is a vegetative bud and next to this a flower. The glandular organ is 

 absent. 



The stem and the petiole has the usual structure. 



The base of the tendril is four-lobed as in Momordica echinata. 

 Ik has four bundles. One of them divides into two a little higher up 

 and the tendril at the same time develops a groove, thus becoming 

 petiole-like in its organisation. 



The bundles of the tendril anastomose with the bundles of the 

 inner ring of the stem. 



CUCURBITA MAXIMA. 



The tendrils in this species are four or five-armed. The vascular 

 connections of the leaf-traces and the tendril-traces are the same as 

 described for Benincasa cerifera. 



Concluding remarks 



It will be seen from what has been described before that or 

 of the twelve species examined, four, i.e., Gucumis melo, Cucumis 

 momordica, Trichosanthes dioica and Momordica charantia, have 

 simple tendrils ; Momordica echinata has both simple and branched 

 tendrils ; while all the rest, have branched tendrils. 



The vascular connections of the stem with the tendril, the 

 flower, the vegetative bud and the leaf have been examined in all 

 except Citrullus vulgaris. The structure of the leaf-stalk and the 

 tendrils at various levels has been examined in all except Cucurbitq 

 maxima. 



