844 . Lxv. cucuRBiTACE^. [Trichosanthcs. 



racemose, gradually lengthening. Bracts often large laciniate, or 

 small or o. Female flower solitary. Male calyx long tubular; 

 lobes 5, lanceolate, entire or serrate. Corolla 5-lobed, lobes fimbriate, 

 Stamens 3 ; anthers linear conduplicate, one i-celled, two 2-celled. 

 Female as in male; stamens o. Ovary inferior i-celled; style 

 fihform, 3- to 6-fid at top. Fruit oblong or globose, red. Seeds 

 many in greenish black pulp, ellipsoid. Species 38, Indo-Malaya, 

 China, Japan, Australia. 



Usually lofty climbers; flowers opening at 12 o'clock at night, fragrant, 

 falling by morning. Fruits very showy, scarlet, usually egg-shaped, and 

 commonly called " Easter eggs." The plant often dies down after flowering, 

 when the fruit is ripe, so that the brilliant fruits are very conspicuous on the 

 dead stems. 



Leaves lobed, not trifoliate. 



Male inflorescence ebracteate . . . . (i) T. CUCUmerina 



Male inflorescence bracteate. 



Bracts distant, ovate, slightly toothed . . (2) T. tricuspidata 



Bracts crowded, long, laciniate. 

 Leaves broad-lobed ; fruit globular ; sepals laciniate. (3) T. palmata 

 Leaves long, narrow-lobed ; fruit ellipsoid . . (4) T. Wallichiana 



Leaves adult trifoliate. 



Leaves membranous , . . . . . (5) T. Wawraei 



Leaves coriaceous . . . . . . (6) T. celebica 



(i) T. cucumerina Linn. Sp. PL 1008 ; King, I.e. 27. 



Leaves membranous orbicular-reniform to broad ovate, edges 

 denticulate, often 3- to 7-lobed; lobes broad acute, base cordate, 

 above sparse pubescent, beneath pubescent, later scabrid, 2 to 

 4 in. long and wide; petioles i to 2 in. long, pubescent. Male 

 peduncles pubescent, ebracteate. Flowers -5 to i in. across, tube 

 •9 to '3 in. long. Female peduncle -5 in. long. Fruit i to 3 in. 

 long, ovoid, apex conic, red. Seed ehiptic corrugate. Hab. Perak 

 (Kunstler). Perhaps only cultivated or an escape. I have seen 

 no specimen, but King says it has larger flowers than the Indian 

 plant and is doubtful about its identity. Distrib. India. 



(2) T. tricuspidata Lour. Flor. Cochinchine, ii. 723 ; King, 

 I.e. 28. 



Slender climber. Leaves membranous, ovate-subtriangular ; 

 lobes 3 to 5, triangular, base cordate, acute or acuminate or sub- 

 entire, glabrous, 3 to 5 in. long and as wide ; petioles slender, 

 I to 1-5 in. long. Male peduncles floriferoys for half the length, 

 stout, 6 in. or more long. Bracts ovate, lanceolate caudate, entire 

 or toothed. Calyx-tube shortly dense tomentose; lobes caudate 

 toothed. Corolla 1-5 in. wide. Female flower, from same axil 

 as male peduncle, tube 1-5 in. long. Fruit sub-globose, 2 in. 

 through, red. Seeds ovate, -5 in. long. Hab. Thickets. Pahang, 

 Pulau Chengei, Pahang River. Perak, Larut (Kunstler) ; Tambun, 

 Ipoh. Penang (Curtis) ; Pulau Betong. Distrib. Siam, Cochin 

 China. Native name : Akar Katominon. 



