4. Lagenabia.] 13. CUCUBBITACEJE. [5. Luffa. 



A coarse glandular and softly hairy monoecious plant with 

 2-fid. tendrils, ovate or orbicular cordate dentate leaves 7-8" 

 diam. 2-glanduIar at base and large solitary white flowers 

 3-4" diam. Ovary and yonng fruit hairy. 

 Largely cultivated. Fl. July-Jany. 



Male peduncle 5-6'', calyx-tube |-f'' and sepals f ''. Petals nften 2 7 by 1" 

 ovate w u h excurrent mid-rib. Fern. Ovary cyiindric, villous, tube 

 above *vry short. 8ejpals \" linear, 



Fruit (Tumba, K.) various, eaten when young, with a hard shell 

 when ripe, used for bottles, etc. 



5. Luffa, Cay. 



Tendrils 4-5-fid. Fls. monoecious. Males in long 

 racemes (pedicels clustered in L. graveolens) with a solitary 

 male or a solitary female from the same node, or female in a 

 different axil. Bracts often glandular. Male calyx-tube 

 obconic or campanulate. sepals 5. Corolla rotate from the 

 top of the tube or lining the calyx-tube to the base. Fila- 

 ments 3-5 inserted at base of corolla tube, anthers free or 

 in 3 groups, more or less exsert, cells sinuose or sigmoid 

 on the margins of the often lamellate connective. Fem. 

 calyx-tube scarcely produced above the ovary. Ovary narrow 

 ultimately 3-celled. Fruit ultimately dry with a coriaceous 

 epicarp and fibrous mesocarp, opening by a siopple. 



The placentation in the genus becomes avile or nearly so fromth9 

 ingrowing of the placentas. 



Fls. 2-3'' diam. Filaments 5 free inserted near 



mouth of tube .1. CByyniiaca. 



Fls. lj-2'' diam. Fil. 3 inserted low in the tube - 2. acuiangula. 



Male pedicels clustered, ebracteate . • • .3. graveolens. 



1. L- aegyptiaca, Mill. Doro, M. ; Pulu, Ho. ; GbV 

 tomi, H. ; Dhundul, Beng. Egyptian Loofah. 



An extensive annual climber with" orbicular-ovate 5- 

 lobed leaves, attaining 13" by 1£" scabrous both sides or slightly 

 pnberulous beneath. Fls. sulphur ysllow often 3-4" diam, 



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