CUCURBITACE^S. 



Cucumber. An extremely active poisonous principle, called 

 elatine, has also been found in the placentas of the fruit of this 

 plant. It exists in such extremely small quantity, that Dr. 

 Clutterbuck only obtained 6 grains from 40 fruit. Edinb. phil. 

 journ. 3. p. 307. An ingenious explanation of the cause of the 

 singular ejection of the seeds of this plant will be found in 

 Dutrochet's Nouvelles Recherches sur VExosmose. The root 

 of Brybnia rostrata is prescribed in India internally in electuary 

 in cases of piles. It is also used as a demulcent, in the form of 

 powder. That of Brybnia cordifblia is considered cooling, and 

 to possess virtues in complaints requiring expectorants. Ainslie 

 2. p. 21. The root of Brybnia epigce'a was once supposed to 

 be the famous colomba-root, to which it approaches very nearly 

 in quality. Ttie'tender-.shopts.aiyl Jeaves of Brybnia scabra are 

 aperient, having been pre'tionsty'rbasted. Ainslie 2. p. 212. The 

 seeds of all'dtetsjitectes; afe| Sweet and oily, and capable of forming 

 very readily *aTi' em*uJsi<5n. * ThYJs'e o'f 'Ampelosicyos scdndens are 

 as large as chestnuts, and said to be as good as almonds, having 

 a very agreeable flavour. When pressed they yield an abund- 

 ance of oil, equal to that of the finest olives. De Candolle 

 remarks that the seeds of this family never participate in the 

 property of the pulp that surrounds them. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 

 TRIBE I. 



NHANDIRO' BE.S. Tendrils axillary, in the place of peduncles. 

 Floniers dioecious. 



1 FEUI'LLEA. Calyx of the male flowers 5-cleft. Petals 5, 

 joined at the base. Stamens 5, inserted with the petals, some- 

 times 1 0, but 5 of them are sterile. Calyx of the female flowers 

 5-cleft. Petals 5, distinct. Styles 3 ; stigmas broad, bifid. 

 Fruit globose, fleshy. 



2 ZANONIA. Male flowers. Calyx 3-lobed (f. 1. a.). Petals 

 5, joined into a 5-parted rotate, spreading corolla (f. 1 . b. c.). 

 Stamens 5, joined at the base ; anthers 1-celled. Female 

 flowers. Calyx with a long turbinate tube, and a 5-lobed limb. 

 Corolla as in the male flowers. Styles 3, spreading, bifid at the 

 apex. Fruit long, turbinate, fleshy ; seeds winged (f. 1 . d. e.}. 



TRIBE II. 



CUCURBI'TE.*. Tendrils lateral, stipular. Flowers herma- 

 phrodite, dioecious, or monoecious. 



S LAGENA'RIA. Calyx campanulate, with subulate or broadish 

 segments ; corolla white ; petals obovate. Stamens 5, triadel- 

 phous. Stigmas 3, thick, 2-lobed. Fruit 3-5-celled. Flowers 

 dioecious. 



4 CU'CUMIS. Calyx tubularly-campanulate, with subulate 

 segments. Petals almost distinct. Stamens 5, in 3 parcels. Stig- 

 mas 3, thick, bipartite. Fruit 3-6-celled. Flowers monoecious 

 or hermaphrodite, yellow. 



5 LU'FFA. Male flowers panicled ; tube of calyx hemisphe- 

 rical. Petals distinct. Stamens 5, free ; anthers very sinuous. 

 Female flowers solitary ; tube of calyx clavate. Stigmas reni- 

 form. Fruit ovate, 3-celled. Flowers yellow. 



6 BENINCA'SA. Flowers polygamous, monoecious, solitary ; 



calycine segments with undulated, toothed margins. Petals 

 obovate, spreading, curled. Stamens in 3 parcels ; anthers 

 irregular, with distant circumvolutions. Stigmas very thick. 

 Flowers yellow. 



7 ERYTHROPA'LUM. Flowers monoecious. Limb of calyx 

 obsoletely 5-toothed. Petals 5, bicallous at base inside. Sta- 

 mens 5, rising from the edge of the tube. Style short. Fruit 

 clavate, 1-celled, 3-valved, 1 -seeded. 



8 TI/RIA. Flowers monoecious. Male ones umbellate. 

 Calyx 5-parted. Corolla 5-petalled. Stamens 5, in 3 parcels ; 

 anthers irregularly undulated. Stamens barren in the female 

 flowers. Stigmas 3, 2-lobed. Fruit cylindrical, villous, warted. 



9 BRYONIA. Flowers monoecious or dioecious ; petals almost 

 distinct. Male flowers. Calyx 5-toothed. Stamens in 3 parcels. 

 Anthers flexuous. Female flowers. Style trifid. Fruit ovate 

 or globose, smooth. Tendrils usually simple, seldom bifid. 



10 SI'CYOS. Flowers monoecious. Male flowers. Calyx 

 5-toothed. Corolla 5-parted. Filaments 3. Female flower. 

 Style trifid ; stigmas thickish, trifid. Fruit 1 -seeded from abor- 

 tion, usually beset with spines. Peduncles many-flowered. 



11 ELATE' RIUM. Flowers monoecious ; male ones racemose 

 or corymbose. Calyx with inconspicuous teeth. Corolla hardly 

 gamopetalous. Filaments and anthers joined. Female flowers 

 solitary. Calyx echinated at the base, with the neck filiform. 

 Style crowned by a capitate stigma. Capsule coriaceous, reni- 

 form, echinated, 1-celled, 2-3-valved, many-seeded, bursting 

 elastically. Flowers yellow or white. 



12 MOMORDICA. Flowers monoecious; peduncles filiform, 

 unibracteate. Male flowers. Calyx 5-cleft, with a very short 

 tube. Corolla 5-parted. Stamens in 3 parcels ; anthers con- 

 nected. Female flowers with 3 sterile filaments. Style trifid. 

 Ovarium 3-celled. Fruit generally muricated, bursting elas- 

 tically when mature. 



13 NEUROSPE'RMA. Flowers monoecious. Male flowers. 

 Calyx and corolla 5-parted. Stamens 5, diadelphous, having 3 

 glands alternating with the bundles. Female flowers. Calyx 

 and corolla parted. Ovarium beset with 8 series of warts. 

 Style trifid, girded by 3 glands at the base ; stigmas 2-lobed. 

 Fruit fleshy, 3-celled, but when mature 1-celled, S-9-seeded. 



14 SE'CHIUM. Flowers monoecious, yellow. Calyx 5-toothed, 

 with 10 foveolse. Corolla joined with the calyx. Stamens 4-5, 

 monadelphous. Style thick ; stigma capitate, 3-5-cleft. Fruit 

 obcordate, 1 -seeded. 



15 MELOTHRIA. Flowers monoecious. Calyx 5-toothed. 

 Corolla campanulate ; petals ciliated or toothed, never fringed. 

 Filaments 5, in 3 parcels. Style 1 ; stigmas 3, fringed. Fruit 

 3-celled, many-seeded. 



16 TRICHOSA'NTHES. Flowers monoecious, white. Male 

 flowers. Calyx subclavate, 5-parted, appendiculate. Corolla 

 5-parted, ciliated (f. 2. a.). Filaments 3. Anthers joined. Female 

 flowers. Calyx 5-toothed. Corolla 5-parted, laciniately cili- 

 ated (f. 2. a.'). Style trifid (f. 2. d.}. Stigmas oblong, subulate. 

 Fruit oblong (f. 2. &.), 1 or 3-9-celled. 



17 AMPELOSICYOS. Flowers dioecious. Male flowers. Calyx 

 turbinate, 5-cleft (f. 3. a.); segments denticulated (f. 3. &.). 



