268 ORIGIN OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 



naturalized. However, unable to find any similar 

 African plant, tie adopted the general opinion. Sir 

 Joseph Hooker, on the contrary, is inclined to believe 

 that G. Anguria is a cultivated and modified form of 

 some African species nearly allied to C. prophetarum and 

 C. Figarei, although these are perennial. In favour of 

 this hypothesis, I may add : (1) The name maroon cu- 

 cumber, given in the French West India Islands, indicates 

 a plant which has become wild, for this is the meaning 

 of the word ^maroon as applied to the negroes; (2) its 

 extended area in America from Brazil to the West Indies, 

 always along the coast where the slave trade was most 

 brisk, seems to be a proof of foreign origin. If the 

 species grew in America previous to its discovery, it 

 would, with such an extensive habitat, have been also 

 found upon the west coast of America, and inland, which 

 is not the case. 



The question can only be solved by a more complete 

 knowledge of the African species of Ciicuiiiis, and by 

 experiments upon fertilization, if any have the patience 

 and ability necessary to do for the genus Cucuinis what 

 Naudin has done for the genus Cucurhita. 



Lastly, I would point out the absurdity of a common 

 name for the Anguria in the United States — Jerusalem 

 Cucumher} After this, is it possible to take popular 

 names as a guide in our search for origins ? 



White Gourd-melon, or Benincasa — Benincasa hispida, 

 Thunberg ; Benincasa cerifera, Savi. 



This species, which is the only one of the genus 

 Benincasa, is so like the pumpkins that early botanists 

 took it for one,^ in spite of the waxy efilorescence on the 

 surface of the fruit. It is very generally cultivated in 

 tropical countries. It was, perhaps, a mistake to aban- 

 don its cultivation in Europe after having tried it, for 

 Naudin and the Bo7i Jardinier both recommend it. 



It is the cumhalam of Rheede, the caonolenga of 

 Rumphius, who had seen it cultivated in Malabar and 

 the Sunda Islands, and give illustrations of it. 



* Darlington, Agric. Bot, p. 58. 



^ Cucurhita Fepo of Loiureiro and Koxbnrgli. 



