BOTANY. 156 



Carica papaya, the West Indian Papaw (/)/. 71, fig. 14) ; a, the tree with 

 the fruit ; h, male flower ; c, section of do. ; d, stamen ; e, abortive pistil of 

 the male flower ; /. a female flower ; g, pistil ; h, cross-section of the fruit ; 

 I, a seed ; k, partial section of do. ; /, embryo. 



Order 141. CucuRBiTACEyE, the Cucumber Family. Calyx five- (rarely 

 six-) toothed ; the limb sometimes obsolete. Petals five (rarely six), 

 distinct, or commonly more or less united with each other and coherent 

 with the calyx, very cellular and often marked with reticulated veins. 

 Stamens five, sometimes distinct, commonly united in three parcels (two 

 and two, and one separate) so as to appear like three stamens only, rarely 

 three and diadelphous ; filaments of each set sometimes connate ; anthers 

 usually long and sinuous, or variously contorted or folded, two-celled, 

 adnate, extrorse, commonly more or less connate. Ovary coherent with 

 tl>e tube of the calyx, usually of three (rarely of two or four) united 

 carpels, sometimes one-celled by the obliteration of the partitions, or often 

 with each carpel spuriously two-celled by the introflexion of the placenta 

 from the axis until it reaches the dorsal suture. Fruit fleshy or juicy, rarely 

 membranous, usually a pepo. Seeds anatropous, compressed, often 

 enveloped by a juicy or dry and membranous arillus ; the testa coi'iaceous ; 

 albumen none. Embryo straight ; cotyledons foliaceous, palmately veined. 

 Herbs with succulent stems, climbing by means of tendrils (which are 

 transformed stipules, according to St. Hilaire). Leaves alternate, palmately 

 veined. Flowers axillary, monoecious or dioecious, or rarely perfect. 



Sub-07'der 1. Nandirhohece. Tendrils axillar. Three distinct styles. 

 Three hollow cells, with many seeds ascending from the base. Example : 

 Fevillea. 



Sub-order 2. CucurhitecB. Tendrils lateral. Styles united. Cells full, 

 with a parietal insertion of the seeds. Section 1. Coniandrese. Example: 

 Coniandre. Section 2. Melothrieae. Example : *Melothria. Section 3. 

 Bryonieae. Examples : ^Bryonia, Citrullus, *Momordica, *Lagenaria. 

 Section 4. Cucumerineae. Examples : Cucumis, Cucurbita, Section 5, 

 Telfaireee. Example : Telfairia. Section 6. Cyclantherese. Example : 

 Cyclanthera. 



Sub-order 3. SicyoidecB. Tendrils lateral. A single cell with a single 

 ovule suspended from the summit. Example : *Sicyos. 



Some of the plants of this order are medicinal, others afford a pleasant 

 fruit. Cucurbita citrullus is the water-melon. The pulp of the fruit of 

 Citrullus colocynthis is known in the pharmacopoeia as colocynth. The 

 calibash or bottle gourd is the fruit of Lagenaria vulgaris. Elaterin is the 

 active principle contained in the fruit of Mon)ordica elaterium, or squirting 

 cucumber. The cucumber, the pumpkin, the squash, and the vegetable 

 marrow all belong to this order. There are about sixty-six genera, with 

 three hundred species in all, of which seven genera and nine species belong 

 to North America. 



Cucumis citrullus, Water-melon (Asia) {pi. 71, fig. H) ; fi, flowering 

 branch ; /•, flower ; c-d, stamens ; e, stigma ; /, cross-section of fruit ; g-i, 

 embryo. 



155 



