28 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



order : if different that is, if the placenta are, in the usual acceptation of the term, truly parie- 

 tal, then it ought undoubtedly to be r- moved and placed near if not atcually united with Pas- 

 si/loreae. But in either case, the points of difference, between Nhandirobeae and Cticurbiteae, 

 seem quite sufficient to distinguish them as separate orders, should that be deemed a judicious 

 arrangenjent, which is not improbable, were it only for the purpose of simplifying the ordinal 



character. 



Its claims to rank as a sub-order of Cucurbitaceae may be at onoe admitted, supposing the 

 carpellary structure the same, on account of the differences in the flowers and anthers which 

 are very distinct in the two tribes and !)y Nharidi.rnbeae having axillary not lateral tendrils. 



'i"wo genera only are assigned to this tribe or order — Znnoiria, (Plate 103), and Fevellca. 

 The first of these, so far as yet known are altogether of Asiatic origin and extends from Malabar 

 eastwards as far as Java, where Blunie found 2 species. The other, which until lately, were only 

 known as natives of America, have recently been found in Assam, whence I have, through the 

 kindness of Captain Jenkins, received two species, but unfortunately the male flowers only. 



The 35 genera o{ Cucurbitaceae, Meisner in his table, distributes according to the stamens 

 into two leading sections — A — stamens free— B— stamens variously united among themselves. 

 To the first of these sections he refers only two Indian genera Lnffa and CUrullus, others 

 have since been added. To the other, ten are assigned. They are further distributed accord- 

 ing to the number and mode of union of the stamens— the petals free or united, the anthers 

 whether connate or distinct, the cells regular or bent and anfractuose, &c. 



Since the publication of this tabular arrangement of the genera, Schrader, a German Bota- 

 nist, has published a revised distribution of them, founded on a minute examination of a 

 large proportion of the order, establishing his arrangement of the genera according to charac- 

 ters taken principally from the male flowers. The original memoir, published in a German pe- 

 riodical (Linnaea vol. 12), I have not yet seen, but Dr. Arnott obligingly prepared for my use 

 a conspectus of all the genera of that memoir, adding several new ones of his own. This he 

 has permitted me to publish should I think it desirable 



Having satisfied myself, by the examination of several of the sections and genera, of the 

 correctness generally of the characters and the facility of applying them in practice, as well as 

 of the greater precision which their adoption confers on our generic characters, I can have no 

 hesitation in subjoming this Conspectus and recommending, to careful examination, the princi- 

 ples on which It proposes to construct the genera of this very obscure and difficult order, as, I 

 think with some slight modifications it will be found to merit general adoption. Until, how- 



ever, I have had more extended opportunities of doing so with recent specimens I refrain from 

 saying more in its favour. 



The characters of the tribes were not given, which is of little consequence as the tribe 

 Cucwbieae is, with a single exception, the only one found in India and the whole of the genera 

 ot this tribe are given, whether Indian or not, to enable those who may give their attention 

 to this investigation, to determine genera not hitherto introduced into the Indian Catalogue. 

 It may be necessary here to observe, that the fruit, in those genera said to have it baccate, is not 



nof frnlv'S ^i °^^ ^^^'t^ modification of the peponida, the placenta being only apparently, 

 not truly parietal, as in the true bacca. a j if j' 



The following explanatory ext 

 not inappropriately be introduced. 



ay 



der's nint in If'^^l^'''' '''^"1% %^ ^ast Indian Cucurbitaceae, in consequence of Schra- 

 t^MM^Jdltn^^^^ to consider it worse than useless 



lectbrfal c^^^^^^^^^^ but when I came to consider his 



frui are r.a Iv X' n K ? T.f^ ^''''T "^ '^' ^^^"»«"« ^^^ ^'^^l^ers and stigma and 

 a 1 ihrUr hi; L. i^, characters hitherto emp oyed for genera by other Botanists ; L\ that 

 ail ocnrauer nas done, is to keep onlv those sn^np^ in ilmiT. ..n ^i . • i ^.i. 



cbaracer and turning'out, and Ik.ng new ge^errof thL t i, HZ" ,K ' r'f ,?• ",'"' aY. 



go great lengths towards adopting L viel, lULd he e .0 ' ^"' ' f"!"""'-"'! to 



to give you a Conspectus, or 

 ' B Indian, but also for those 



