53 



well known " Colocynth," Several other species are used medicinally 

 in the countries where they are indigenous. Of the species yielding 

 eatable fruits it is only necessary to enumerate the following : — 

 Cucumber, Pumpkin, Melon, Water Melon, and Vegetable Marrow, of 

 all of which there are numerous varieties. The true " Gherkin " is 

 not, as is commonly supposed, the young fruits of the common 

 cucumber, but of Cucumis Anguria, a West Indian species, Telfairia 

 pedata is a wide climbing plant of the East Coast of Africa, and is 

 occasionally met with in cultivation in Natal. Its fruits are large, and 

 contain many large, flattened seeds, having a hard outer covering, 

 while the kernels have a nutty flavour and contain a large percentage 

 of oil. 



Number of species about 470, 



Anther cells flexuous (rarely straight in Cucumis and 



Momordica). 

 Anther cells straight. 



1 Corolla rotate or bell-shaped, limb deeply divided. 

 1 Corolla bell-shaped, 5-lobed rarely below the 

 middle. 

 2 Calyx tube short. 



2 Calyx tube long (at least in the female flowers). 

 3 Connective produced beyond the anther cells. 

 3 Connective not produced Calyx with two scales 



between the stamens. Tendrils simple. 

 3 Calyx tube without scales Anther cells more or 



less cohering. Tendrils branched. 

 3 Calyx tube without scales. Anther cells 

 separate. Tendrils branched. 

 4 Fruit a few-seeded berry. Dioecious. 

 4 Fruit a few-seeded berry. Monoecious. 

 4 Fruit dry or fibrous within. Seeds flat. 

 4 Fruit fleshy. Seeds with tumid border. 

 4 Fruit fleshy. Seeds compressed, black. 



5 Tendrils simple Fruit a beny. 

 6 Anthers 3-5, one 1-celled, remainder 2-celled, 



filaments elongate. 

 6 Anthers 3-5, one 1-celled, remainder 2-celled, sub- 

 sessile. Seeds flattened. 

 6 Anthers 3, one 1-celled, remainder 2-celled, or all 



1-celled. Seeds tumid. 

 6 Anthers 4, l-celled, and one barren. Seeds winged. 



1 



6 

 2 



5 

 3 



4 



Cucumis. 



mormordica. 



CiTRULLUS. 



t0x.\nthera. 

 Trochomeria. 



MUKIA. 



Ldffa. 

 Lagexaria. 

 Peponia. 

 coccinea. 



Zehneria. 



Melothria, 



Kedrostis. 

 Gerrardanthus. 



List of Species. 



1 Trochomeria, Hook. 



Hookeri, Harv. 

 sagittata, Hk. f. 

 pectinata, Bmth & Hook, 



B. 



BC. 



Z. 



2 Peponia, Naud. 

 McKenii, Naud. 



3 Luffa, Cav. 

 sphgerica, Sond. 



