548 lxiv. cucurbitace^e (hooker). [Oreosyce. 



17. OREOSYCE, Hook. f. 



Flowers monoecious, subsolitary. Male : Calyx-tube cylindric- 

 campanulate, hispid; teeth 5, subulate. Corolla rotate, tube short; 

 lobes oblong-, obtuse. Stamens 3, peltately attached to the middle of 

 the calyx-tube ; filaments very short ; anthers cohering-, small, one 

 2-celled, two 2-celled ; cells straight, narrow, contiguous, obtuse ; con- 

 nective not produced. Rudiment of ovary glandular. Female fl. : 

 Staminodes 3, short. Ovary fusiform, scabrid ; style columnar, in- 

 serted in a cupular disk, stigma subcapitate, 3-lobed ; ovules numerous 

 on 3 placentas. Fruit unknown. — 4. very slender hispid scandent 

 herb. Leaves on slender petioles, ovate-cordate, obscurely 3-5-lobed 

 and irreg-ularly toothed. Tendrils slender, simple. Flowers small, 

 yellow, on short pedicels. 



1. O. africana, Hook. f. Altogether hispid or subscabrid with 

 short stiff white hairs. Stems climbing 10-12 ft, very slender, grooved 

 and angled. Leaves 2-3 in. long, bright green, rather membranous, 

 narrowly ovate or triangular-cordate, basal sinus usually deep and 

 rounded, lateral lobes short, acute, terminal produced, gradually taper- 

 ing to the very acute apex. Flowers densely hispid. Calyx tube \ in. 

 long. Corolla scarcely J in. diameter, young fruit ovoid, densely 

 hispid, \ in. long, on a stout decurved pedicel. 



Upper Guinea. Fernando Po and Camaroons mountain, alt. 7000-8000 ft. 

 Mann ! 



Probably allied to Cvcumis in most characters ; but very distinct in the peltately 

 sessile anthers, which have straight contiguous cells, and no produced connective. 



18. CITRULLUS, Schrad. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, i. 826. . 



Flowers all solitary ; monoecious. Male : Calyx-tube campanu- 

 late ; lobes 5. Coroila campanulate, 5-lobed to below the middle, lobes 

 obtuse. Filaments 3, very short, free, inserted within the tube ; 

 anthers slightly cohering, one 1 -celled, two 2-celled; cells linear, 

 flexuous, bordering the broad connective which is not produced beyond 

 the cells. Rudiment of ovary gland-like. Female fl. : Staminodes 

 ligulate or setaceous. Ovary ovoid or globose; style short, stigma 

 3-lobed; ovules numerous, on 3 placentas. Fruit globose, usually 

 hard, smooth. Seeds many, oblong*, compressed, smooth. — Annual, 

 rarely perennial herbs, foetid or musky, rarely scandent. Leaves deeply 

 lobed ; lobes narrow. Tendrils usually 2-3-fid. Flowers shortly pe- 

 duncled, yellow. Fruit usually large. 



Leaves scabrid. Tendrils slender. Fruit intensely bitter . . 1. C. Colocynthis. 

 Leaves not scabrid. Tendrils slender. Fruit sweet or slightly 



bitter ( 2. C. vulgaris. 



Leaves very scabrid. Tendrils spinescent 3. C. Naudinianus. 



1. C. Colocynthis, Schrad. ; Navd. in Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 4, xii. 99. 

 Root perennial. Stem angular, scabrid. Leaves triangular-ovate in 

 outline, 2-4 in. long, 7-lobed, or 3-lobed with the middle lobe ovate, 



