THE CUCUMBER FAMILY, 143 



CucnrbitaceaB. 

 The Cucumber FA^fiLY. 



This is a very large order comprising some 470 

 species of 68 genera grouped into 8 tribes. South 

 Africa has 13 genera, of which I will select two. 

 All the species are herbs, either prostrate or climb- 

 ing by tendrils. The flowers are always unisexual, 

 sometimes monoecious, as of melons and cucumbers, 

 and sometimes dioecious, as some species of the berry- 

 fruited Zehnerxa. 



Cu'ctunis (Melon) (Fig. 61). — The rruiU flower has 

 five coherent, superior sepals ; a corolla of five coherent 

 petals ; five stamens (III.), the filaments being more or 

 less united, and the anthers in two coherent pairs, the 

 fifth being free and alone (IV.). The anthers are 

 tLsually curved like an S, and are called sin uaU (III.). 



In the/t wmZe flower there are, of course, no stamens, 

 but the OTary of the pistil is peculiar. The structure 

 can be best seen in a thin slice of cuctimber held up to 

 the light. What one observes is the seeds facing 

 inwards, and suspended on an anchor-shaped support 

 (VII. ). To account for this, we must first consider the 

 three carpels as ha\'ing their margins united edge to 

 edge, making a siagle chamber; then, suppose the 

 united pairs of edges to grow inwards, till they touch, 

 but without cohering, in the middle. Now let them 



