GOURD TRIBE. 225 



prepared a meal of them. But the bitter taste of the 

 boiled Cucumber made those who tasted it fear that 

 it was poisonous, the opinion being general with the 

 Hebrews that a bitter taste indicated the presence of 

 poison (see Eev. viii. 10, 11). The only plant belonging 

 to this tribe which is a native of Britain, Bryonia dioica 

 (White Bryony), partakes of the properties of Colocynth, 

 and the root is said to be a valuable medicine. The 

 Spirting Cucumber, so called from the force with which 

 it expels the poisonous juice when ripe, is a very dan- 

 gerous drug, a few grains of Elaterium, a prepared form 

 of this juice, having been known to bring on symptoms 

 of poisoning. A case even is recorded, when a person 

 was taken dangerously ill from having merely carried a 

 specimen in his hat. Many species, however, produce 

 edible fruit ; for instance, the numerous varieties of 

 Melon and Cucumber, the Water Melon, so highly 

 esteemed for the cool refreshing juice of its ripe fruit, 

 and one of our finest table vegetables, the Vegetable 

 Marrow. It is said that the tender shoots of the White 

 Bryony may be used with safety after having been boiled, 

 and that they resemble Asparagus in flavour ; but it is 

 highly probable that the shoots of Black Bryony (Tamus 

 communis), a plant belonging to a different Order, may 

 have been used instead ; in either case the experiment 

 is a dangerous one. 



1. BRYONIA (Bryony). Stamens 5, in 3 sets ; style 

 3-cleft ; fruit a globose berry. (Name from the Greek 

 bryo, to bud, the rapid growth of the Gourd tribe being 

 proverbial.) 



1. BRYONIA (Bryony). 



1. B. dioica (White Bryony). The only British spe- 

 cies ; frequent in England, except in the extreme western 

 counties. An elegant climbing plant, with large, light 

 green, rough leaves, having undivided tendrils at the 

 base, and bunches of whitish flowers, with green veins. 

 The fertile flowers may be distinguished at once from 

 Q 



