THE 



GARDENER'S AND BOTANIST'S DICTIONARY. 



ORDER CIII. CUCURBITA'CE^E (plants agreeing with 

 Cucurbita in important characters). Juss. gen. p. 393. D. C. 

 fl. fr. 3. p. 688. Aug. St. Hil. in mem. mus. 9. p. 190-221. 

 Ser. in mem soc. hist. nat. gen. vol. 3. p. 1 . D. C. prod. 3. 

 p. 297. Lindl. introd. nat. syst. p. 192. 



Flowers hermaphrodite, monoecious or dioecious (f. 1. b. c. 

 {. 3. b. c.), axillary. Calyx gamosepalous (f. 3. a. 6.), 5-toothed, 

 sometimes obsolete. Corolla 5-petalled (f. 2. a. f. 1. c. f. 3. c.), 

 but usually only 5-parted, distinct from the calyx, and some- 

 times somewhat continuous with it, rising from the margin 

 of the torus, sometimes fringed, constantly yellow, white, or 

 red, very cellular, with strongly marked, reticulated veins. 

 Stamens 5, either distinct, or joined in 3 parcels, and sometimes 

 all together ; filaments rarely pilose ; anthers 2-celled, very long, 

 sinuous, rarely ovate and short. Style rarely almost wanting, 

 crowned by 3-5 2-lobed stigmas, which are thick and velvety, 

 but rarely fringed. Ovarium 1 -celled, with 3 parietal placentas. 

 Fruit fleshy, more or less succulent, crowned by the scar formed 

 by the calyx, 1-celled (f. 3. e. f. 2. fc.), with 3 parietal placentas, 

 which are indicated on the outside by nerves. Umbilical funicle 

 tumid towards the seeds. Seeds frequently obovate, flat, fixed to 

 the parietes of the fruit, enveloped in an arillus, which is either 

 juicy, or dry and membranous ; testa coriaceous, often thick at 

 the margins ; hylum oblique at the top of the seed. Embryo 

 straight, flat, without albumen. Cotyledons foliaceous, pal- 

 mately nerved ; radicle basilar, directed towards the hylum. 

 Roots annual or perennial, fibrous or tuberous. Stems herba- 

 ceous, climbing by means of tendrils. Leaves palmate, or with 

 palmate ribs, succulent, covered with numerous asperities. Ten- 

 drils solitary, lateral, divided or undivided. Flowers solitary, 

 panicled, or in fascicles. Bracteas usually wanting. Branches 

 rising between the leaves and tendrils. 



This order is nearly related to Passifloreae, to which they are 

 so closely allied, as hardly to be distinguishable, except in their 

 monopetalous corolla, sinuous stamens, unisexual flowers, and 

 exalbuminous seeds, the habit of both being nearly the same. 

 There is an affinity between the order and Campanulacea: in the 



VOL. III. 





perigynous insertion of the stamens, the inferior ovarium, the 

 single style with several stigmas, the quinary division of the 

 flower, connected with the ternary division of the fruit, and 

 some analogy in the nature of the floral envelopes. The 

 small tribe Nhandirbbece consists of plants having the habit of 

 Cucurbitac'ece, but some resemblance in their fruit to that of 

 Lecythidece, which, as is well known, border close upon Myr- 

 tacece ; but beyond this resemblance 'of the fruit, which 

 appears altogether to be a structure of analogy rather than 

 that of affinity, there is nothing to confirm the approachment. 

 Cucurbitaceae is one of the most useful orders in the vegetable 

 kingdom, comprehending the melon, the cucumber, the choco, 

 and the various species of gourd and pumpkin, all useful as 

 food for man. A bitter laxative quality perhaps pervades all 

 these, which in the colocynth is so concentrated as to become 

 an active purgative principle. The colocynth of the shops is 

 prepared from the pulp of Cucumus colocynthus ; it is of so 

 drastic and irritating a nature, as to be classed by Orfila among 

 his poisons ; but, according to Thunberg, this gourd is rendered 

 perfectly mild at the Cape of Good Hope, by being properly 

 pickled, Ainslie 1. p. 85. The bitter resinous matter in which 

 the active principles of colocynth are supposed to exist, is called 

 by chemists colocynthine. A waxy substance is secreted by the 

 fruit of Eenincasa cerifera. It is produced in most abundance 

 at the time of its ripening. Delisle descrip. The leaf of Feu'il- 

 lea cordifolia, is asserted by M. Drapiez to be a powerful anti- 

 dote against vegetable poisons. Edinb. phil. journ. 4. p. 221. 

 The fruit of Trichosanthes palmdta, pounded small, and inti- 

 mately blended with warm cocoa-nut oil, is considered a valuable 

 application in India for cleansing and healing the offensive sores 

 which sometimes take place in the inside of the ears. It is also 

 supposed to be a useful remedy poured up the nostrils in cases 

 of ozaema. Ainslie 2. p. 85. The root of Brybnia possesses 

 powerful purgative properties, but is said to be capable of 

 becoming wholesome food, if properly cooked. The perennial 

 roots of all the order appear to contain similar bitter drastic 

 virtues, especially that of Momordica elatermm or Squirting 

 B 



