524 lxiv. cucurbitace.e (hooker). [Telfairia. 



Ampelosicyos scandens, Thouars, Hist. Veg. Ins. Afr. 68, t. 22. Joll\flia 

 africana, Bojer ex Del. in Mem. Hist. Nat. Paris, iii. 314, t. 6. 



Mozamb. Distr. Bojer ex Hort. Maurit. Zanzibar, Dr. Kirk I 

 Seeds oily, boiled and eaten by the negroes. 



2. T. occidentalism Hook.f. Very similar indeed to T. pedata, but 

 the leaflets are all triple-nerved from near the base, the flowers appa- 

 rently smaller and the calyx-lobes less deeply serrate. Female fl. not 

 seen. Fruit 2 ft. long, acutely 10-ribbed, apex obtusely produced. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Barter ! Common in littoral hedges of Euphorbia 

 aphylla, Dr. Welwitsch I Fernando Po, Mann ! Abbeokuta, Irving ! 



Mann states that it is cultivated for the seeds, which the negroes boil and eat. 



2. TEOCHOMERIA, Hook. f. ; Benth. et Hook. f. 

 Gen. Plant, ii. 822. 



Monoecious. Male fl. : Peduncles 1-3-flowered. Calyx-tube cylindric 

 or funnel-shaped, teeth minute. Corolla rotate, lobes 5, elongate linear 

 or subulate. Filaments 3, free, inserted in the calyx-tube ; anthers in- 

 cluded, linear, slightly cohering, one 1-celled, two 2-celled, cells condu- 

 plicate ; connective villous or papillose at the tip. Rudiment of ovary 

 conical. Female fl. : Solitary. Staminodes 3. Ovary oblong ; style co- 

 lumnar, stigma 3-lobed ; ovules many, on 3 placentas. Fruit ovoid oblong 

 or subglobose, fleshy. Seeds few, tumid ; testa smooth, hard. — Scandent 

 or prostrate herbs ; root tuberous. Leaves simple, lobed or partite ; 

 petiole with or without a stipular bract at the base. Tendrils simple. 

 Flowers yellowish. 



Probably a common Tropical and South African genus, of which the southern species 

 are described under Zehneria and Lagenaria in Harvey and Sonder. Some species 

 have an orbicular pectinate stipular leaf like that of Ctenolepis, at the base of some or 

 all of the leaves. The species are most difficult to determine, are excessively variable, 

 and turn black in drying. 



Corolla-lobes about 4 in. long. 



Leaves more or less pubescent on both surfaces 1. T. macrocarpa. 



Leaves nearly glabrous 2. T. vitifolia. 



CoroHa-lobes about 1£ in. long 3. T. macroura. 



1. T. macrocarpa, Hook. f. Pubescent-pilose with rather soft 

 hairs ; stem sparingly pilose. Leaves very variable, without white 

 papillae when dry, pubescent on both surfaces ; petioles short. Peduncles 

 1-3 in. long, very slender, 1-3-flowered; pedicels capillary. Flowers 

 yellow. Calyx-tube J in. long, \ in. diameter. Corolla-lobes subulate, 

 as long as the calyx-tube. Anthers with papillose tips. Fruit fleshy, 

 oblong, 1J-2 in. long, beaked. Seeds ovoid, compressed, nearly ^ in. 

 long, testa very thick. 



Form 1. Leaves 1-Tf in. long, digitately 5-7 -lobed to near the hase, lobes linear or 

 linear-oblong, sparingly obtusely lobed, peduncles 1-flowered. • Zehneria macrocarpa, 

 Sond. in Fl. Cap. ii. 488.— The South African form. 



? Form 2. Leaves reduced to 1 or few very narrow lohes, or altogether wanting; 

 peduncleB 2-3-flowered ; corolla lobes narrower. 



