CUCUMBER THE GOURDS. 385 



the fruit called guava. This fruit is in much favour in the 

 West Indies. The purple P. cattleyanum is the best. The 

 fruit is of a fine deep claret colour, and the pulp, in consist- 

 ence and flavour, bears a considerable resemblance to the 

 strawberry. 



Lecythidacew, Monkey-pot order. Bertholletia excelsa yields 

 the Brazil, Castanha, or Para nuts of the shops. Lecythis 

 ollaria affords the monkey-pot, the seeds contained in which 

 are the Sapucaya nuts. A smaller-fruited Lecythis yields what 

 is called the monkey's drinking-cup. 



Onagraccce, Evening Primrose order. (Enothera biennis, 

 the evening primrose, and other species, are cultivated for their 

 edible roots. 



Halorageacece, Mare's- tail order. Trapa natans, the water- 

 chestnut, a European plant, yields edible seeds. T. bicornis 

 is the ling of the Chinese, used for food. The seeds of T. bi- 

 spinosa are eaten in India. 



Cucurbitacece, Gourd order. Bryonia alba, a European 

 plant, and B. dioica, a British plant, afford pot-herbs in their 

 young shoots. Cucumis sativa, the common cucumber ; (7. 

 melo, the melon both of uncertain origin. Cucurbita citrullus 

 the water-melon of the south of Europe. C. maxima, the red 

 gourd. C. pepo or Benincasa cerifera, the white gourd. C. 

 ovifera, the vegetable marrow, from Astracan. (7. pepo, the 

 pumpkin of the Levant. Lagenaria vulgaris, bottle-gourd of 

 the East Indies, the interior of which is eaten. Sechium 

 edule yields the fruit called chocho, given to pigs. Telfairia 

 pedata has edible seeds the size of chestnuts, with the flavour 

 of almonds. 



Papayacew, Papaw order. Carica papaya, the papaw tree ; 

 the fruit is edible. 



Belvisiacece, Belvisia order. The pulp of the fruit in this 

 order is edible. 



2B 



