Order 58.— CTJCURBITACE^. 365 



M. pendula L. Lvs. roundish, cordate, 5-lobed or angled, pointed, slightly hispid ; 

 fls. axillary, the sterile in small racemes, the fertile solitary, on long peduncles. — 

 N. Y. to Ga. and La. A delicately slender vine, climbing over other plants. 

 Lvs. small (1 to 2' diam.) Fls. small, yellowish. Sty. short, surrounded by a 

 cup-shaped disk. Fr. small, oval. Jl. 



6. CUCUR'BITA, L. Squash. (A Latin word, signifying a vessel ; 

 from the form of the fruit.) Fls. 8 . Corolla campanulate ; petala 

 united and coherent with the calyx. <? Calyx 5-toothed ; stamens 5, 

 triadelphous, anthers syngenecious, straight, parallel. ? Calyx 5- 

 toothed, upper part deciduous after flowering ; stigmas 3, thick, 2-lobed ; 

 pepo fleshy or ligneous, 3 to 5-celled ; seeds thickened at margin, obo- 

 vate, compressed, smooth. — Fls. mostly yellow. 



1 C. pepo L. Pumpkin. Hispid and scabrous; st. procumbent; tendrils 

 branched; lvs. (very large) cordate, palmately 5-lobed or angled, denticulate; fls. 

 axillary, J long-pedunculate ; fr. very large, roundish or oblong, smooth, furrowed 

 and torulous. — (T) Fields. Long cultivated as a useful kitchen vegetable or for 

 cattle. Fls. large, yellow. Fr. sometimes 3f diam., yellow when mature, yield- 

 ing sugar abundantly. JL \ Levant 



2 C. Melopepo L. Flat Squash. Hairy ; st. procumbent, with branched 

 tendrils ; lvs. cordate, palmately somewhat 5-lobed, denticulate ; fls. pedunculate ; 

 fr. depressed-orbicular, the margin mostly torulous or tumid, smooth or warty. — 

 Gardens. Cultivated for its fruit, a well known kitchen vegetable. There are 

 many varieties in respect to the fruit. \ Nativity ? 



3 C. verrucosa L. Warted Squash. Crook-neck Squash, &c. Hairy, 

 procumbent, lvs. cordate, palmately and deeply 5-lobed, denticulate, terminal 

 lobe narrowed at base ; fls. pedunculate, large ; fr. roundish elliptic or chvate, 

 often elongated and incurved at base. — Q Mentioned by Nuttall as long cultivated 

 by the Indians W. of the Mississippi. Common in our gardens, with numerous 

 well known varieties of the fruit. Jl. \ 



7. CITRUL'LUS, Neck. Watermelon. (Lat. citrus, an orange.) 

 Calyx deeply 5-cleft, segments linear-lanceolate ; petals 5, united at 

 base and adnate to the bottom of the calyx ; stamens 5, triadelphous; 

 style trifid ; stigmas convex, reniform-cordate ; fruit subglobous, fleshy, 

 the succulent placentae filling the cell ; seeds colored, numerous, trun- 

 cate at base and obtuse on the margin. 



C. vulgaris Schrad. Hirsute; st. prostrate, slender; lvs. somewhat 5-lobed, 

 the lobes obtusely siuuate-pinnatifid, glaucous beneath ; fls. solitary, pedunculate, 

 with a single bract ; fr. globous or oval, smooth, stellate-maculate. — Extensively 

 cultivated for its well-known delicious, cooling fruit. Fl. Jn. — Aug. Fr. Aug., 

 Sept. — A variety is the citron, a smaller fruit with thicker and firmer rind 

 X India. Afr. 



8. CITCUMIS, L. Cucumber. (Celtic cuce, a hollow vessel ?) 

 Flowers 8 or £ . Calyx tubular-campanulate, with subulate segments ; 

 corolla deeply 5-parted. $ Stamens 5, triadelphous. ? Style short; 

 stigmas 3*, thick, 2-lobed ; pepo fleshy, indehiscent ; seeds ovate, flat, 

 acute, and not margined at the edge. — Creeping or climbing by ten- 

 drils. Fls. axillary, solitary, yellow. 



■ 1 C. sativus L. Cucumber. St. prostrate, rough; tendrils simple; lvs. 

 subcordate, broad as long, palmately 5-angled or lobed, lobes subentire, acute, 

 terminal one longest ; fr. oblong, obtusely prismatic, prickly, on a short peduncle. 

 — (D First brought to England in 1573. It is now universally cultivated for the 

 table, either fresh or pickled. Gathered and eaten before maturity. Jn. — Sept. 

 Many varieties. 



2 C. Melo L. Musk Melon. St. prostrate, rough, tendrils simple; lva. 

 eubcordate, roundish, obtuse, palmately 5-angled, lobes rounded, obtuse, obscurely 



