5. Luffa.] 13. CUCURBIT ACEM. [6. Benikcasa. 



with a rotate corolla on racemes which attain 18" long. Fr. 

 6-18* clavate or cylindrical, not ridged. 



Jungles in Singbhum, on old village sites apparently wild. Thi9 wild 

 form has a fruit usually under 8'', quite smooth and cylindric. Cultivat- 

 ed throughout Ch. Nag. Wild plant EX. Aug.-Sept. Fr. Nov. -Dec. The 

 cultivated often also much later. 



L. sinuate dentate or denticulate usually with well marked acuminate 

 lobes. Bracts with 1 or more large disciform glands occupying the whole 

 surface. Calyx-tube short campanulate, sepals longer £-V glandular. 

 Fern, fl. solitary from same node as the male raceme, often abortive 



2 L. acutangula, Roxb. Jui, Ho. ; Paror Jhinga. 8. 

 Jhinga, Ara-torui, H. ; Tita Dhundal, Beng. 



L. orbicnlar, 5-9'' both ways, or broader than iong 

 nsnally faintly lobed or lobes obtuse, margin more or lees 

 repand and ennticnlate , texture of last. Fls. l|-2" diain,. 

 corolla inserted low down with the 3 filaments, anthers only 

 shortly exserted, Male racemes 6-14". Fruit with 10 

 sharp ridges. 



Cultivated. Not found wild. 



3. L. graveolens, Roxb. 



L. 3* diam,, scabrous above, reniform -orbicnlar, 5- 

 angled, punctulate, scabrous above. Male pedicels clustered 

 axillary. Female peduncle short sometimes with 2-3 

 flowers each with a small ovate bract. Petals J*. Fruit 2' 

 by 1", papillose, obscurely 10-striate. 



Eajmehal Hills, Roxb.; Ch. Nagpur, Prain. Fls. Sept. 



Stem grooved. L. ovate to kidney-shaped. M. and F. fl. from the 

 same axils. M. on separate stalks, F. often sub-panicled, and peduncle brao 

 teate. Petals under £''. St. 5 distinct. Fr. echinate. 



6, Benincasa, Savi. 



1. B- cerifera, Savi. Rakhsa K. ; Kumra, Beng., H. 

 Resembles a Cncuvbita in its large solitary yellow flowers 

 and foliaceoue sepals, but the corolla is only very slightly 



169 



