72 DICOTYLEDONS 



The Sunflower (Heliant/nis annuus). 



The Chinese Sunflower {Belamcanda chinensis), a diffuse 

 shrub with three-lobecl leaves and pretty large yellow flowers. 



Zinnia {Zinnia elefjans), Marigold (Tagetes erecta), Dahlia 

 (Dahlia variabilis). Cosmos (Cosmos sulphiireus and C bipinnatus), 

 all of thein common garden plants. 



The Australian Daisy (Vittadenia aiistrali^, much cultivated, 

 and also run wild at Bangalore and on the hills. 



Eclipta alba (Kan. Garga; Mai. Kaiyanni), a much-prized 

 medicinal weed. 



16. The Cucumber and Gourd Family 



(Cucurbitaceae). 



Climbing herbs, with hollow stems and large, rough, alternate 

 leaves and lateral tendrils. Flowers radial, unisexual, yellow or white. 

 Petals more or less united. Ovary inferior, three carpels, parietal 

 placentation. Fruit a berry. 



The Cucumber''' (Cucimiis sativus). 



(Kan. Mullusaute. Mai., Tarn. MulluvelLarika. Sa7). Urvaruka, karkati.) 



1. Fruit and its Use. — The Cucumber is extensively culti- 

 vated for its fruit. A cross-section through the fruit, a berry, 

 shows three divisions, which indicate three carpels. The carpels 

 are bent inward to the centre, where they turn again to the 

 periphery to return once more inward towards the centre bearing 

 on their edges the seeds and thus forming six placentas with 

 each a group of seeds. The seeds are embedded in a sticky, 

 jelly-like pulp. 



2. Germination. — Tiie seeds that fall on moist ground soon 

 begin to germinate, the sticky flesh round them drying u[) and 

 hxing the seed firmly to the ground. When germinating, the 

 main root first appears out of the pointed end of the seed (i\g. 7.5, i), 

 and sinks at once into the ground where rootlets are soon de- 



* If Cucumis salivas in not nt hand, any othor of tlio many cultivated kinds of 

 Gourds, Melons, or tlio Piuiipkiii, w i II do »'(|uall y w ell as nnotlier type of tlie family. 



