JAII. (■IX'l'Illiir.VCK.K. 



547 



vessels and is also coininoiily carried hy bej,'gars as a receptacle lor alms, 

 &c. The fruit is eaten when young; wlien fully ripe it often weighs 

 as much as 20 lbs. An inedible variety kntiwn as Kadva-dadlitja (bitter 

 du(Uii/a) is used for tloats by lislierinen. J)iithio &. i'uller (Field and 

 Garden Crops) give a description and Hgure(t. 4b). i''l. B. 1. v. 2, p. Ol.'i; 

 Dalz. & Gibs. Suppl. p. 'M ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. ]1 (1898) 

 p. 639, & Ciard. in liul. ed. 5, p. 331 ; Watt, Diet. Ecun. Prod. v. 4, 

 p. 580. 



Cucurhita moscJnit'f, Duchesne, the Musk Melon (Vern. Kdla-hhopcdu), 

 is largely cultivated in India and in most tropical and subtropit-al 

 countries, its native country is unknown. The fruit is of various 

 shapes, ovoid, clavate, or subglobose and depressed at the apex and base 

 and more or less ribbed, dark-green when young, covered with a delicate 

 glaucous bloom when ripe {Bathie). Duthie & i'uUer (Field and Garden 

 Crops) give 4 plates (tt. 58-Gl). The fruiting peduncle is angular and 

 furrowed. ¥\. B. I. v. 2, p. 022 ; AVoodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. il 

 (1898) p. 640 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 3, p. 640. 



Cucurbita maxima, Duchesne, the Melon-Pumpkin, S(]uash-(TOurd, 

 Ked Gourd (Vehn. 'JVnnbada-bhojxila ; J\i«/u), is cultivated throughout 

 India and in most warm regions of the world. The fruit is the largest 

 of any produced by the Cucurbitacea), sometimes weighing 2 cwt. and 

 measuring 6 to 8 feet in circumference. Woodrow (Gard. in Ind. ed. 5, 

 p. 328) describes the mode by which very large fruit may be grown. 

 The fruiting peduncle is round and smooth. El. B. I. v. 2, p. 622 ; 

 Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1898) p. 640; Watt, Diet. Econ. 

 Prod. V. 2, p. 638. 



Cucurhita Pepo, DC, the Pumpkin, Vegetable Marrow (Veen. Kdsld- 

 hhopald ; KauJa), is cultivated, but not extensively, in the Bombay 

 Presidency, where the commonly grown Lagenaria vuhjaris (dudhya) is 

 used in preference. The fruiting peduncle is woody and strongly grooved. 

 El. B. 1. V. 2, p. 622 ; AVoodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1898) p. 640, 

 & Gard. in Ind. ed. 5, p. 334 ; AVatt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 2, p. 641. 



The three plants Cucurhita moschatx, C. maxima, and C. Pepo are somewhat dilRculb 

 to distinguish I'roni oue another. Duthie & Fuller (Field and Garden Ci\)|)s, p. 5fc>) 

 give the t'oUowing distinguishing eharacters : — 



The hairiness of C. moschuta is harsher than that of C. maxima, but much less so 

 than that of C Pepo, which is decidedly pungent. The leaves of C. moschuta are 

 usually marbled with whitish blotclies ; not so in C. 'maxima, rarely in C.Pepo. Tiie 

 calyx-segments of the I'emale flower of C. mogrhaia are leaf-like, those of the other two 

 subulate, while the glaucous bloom on tiie fruit of C. moschata is characteristic. 



Benicasa cerifeni, Savi, the AVhite Pumpkin or AVhite Gourd-Melon 

 (A^ERX. Bhura-lcold ; KuJudd), probably, according to DeCandolIe, a 

 native of Japan and Java, is cultivated more or less throughout India 

 and in many warm countries, but not largely in the Bombay Presidency. 

 The fruit, which is without ribs, softly hairy and covered when ripe 

 with a waxy bloom, is eaten as a vegetable and used in the manufacture 

 of a native sweetmeat. Duthie & Euller (Field and (liarden Crops) give 

 a figure (t. 45). El. B. I. v. 2, p. 616 ; AVoodr. in Journ. Bon.b. Nat. 

 V. 11 (1898) p. 640 ; AVatt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 1, p. 439. Benicasa 

 his2)id(i, Cogniaux, in DC. 3Iouogr. Phan. v. 3 (1881) p. 513. 



