CUCURBITACE^E. V. LUFFA. VI. BENINCASA. VII. ERYTHROPALUM. 



29 



coast of Africa, in fields, hedges, and among bushes. Sims, 

 bot. mag. 1638. Ojong Bulustru is its Hindoo name. 

 Fetid Luffa. Fl. June, Oct. Clt. 1812. Pl.tr. 



2 L. CORDIFOLIA (Blume, bijdr. p. 929.) leaves cordate, acumi- 

 nated, sharply toothed, scabrous ; flowers dioecious ; male ones 

 rather umbellate : female ones solitary ; fruit furrowed and 

 wrinkled. 0. F. Native of Java, on the mountains, where it 

 is called by the natives Aroy kajoraajan, Aroy Kalayar burriet, 

 but Tirvuk by the Hindoos. 



Heart-leaved Luffa. PI. tr. 



3 L. ACUTA'NGULA (Ser. in D. C. prod. 3. p. 302.) stem 

 twisted ; leaves cordate, somewhat 5-lobed, acutely toothed ; 

 tendrils undivided, or 2-S-cleft; fruit clavate, 10-angled, 

 crowned by the linear calycine segments: the rind hard; seeds 

 flat, roundish-oblong, black and shining at maturity. Q. F. 

 Native of China, and plentiful in India near the habitations of 

 the Indians Cucumis acutangulus, Lin. spec. 1436. Jacq. hort. 

 vind. 3. p. 73, 74. ex Lam. diet. 2. p. 74. Rheed. mal. 8. t. 7. 

 Rumph. amb. 5. p. 408. t. 149. Drlngi is the Hindoo name 

 of the plant. Leaves like those of Tussilago Pelasites or Vltis, 

 with the scent of Datura stramonium. Male flowers umbellate, 

 female ones solitary. Fruit insipid, but is eaten by the natives 

 of India boiled or pickled. 



Acute-angled Luffa. Fl. June, Oct. Clt. 1692. Pl.tr. 



4 L. PLUKENETIA'NA (Ser. mss. in D. C. prod. 3. p. 302.) 

 leaves cordate, doubly toothed ; tendrils 2-3-cleft ; fruit ob- 

 ovate, crowned by the marcescent limb of the calyx. Q. F. 

 Native of the East Indies. Cucumis acutangulus ft, Lam. diet. 

 2. p. 74. Pluk. phyt. t. 172. f. 1. 



PPlukenet's Luffa. PI. tr. 

 5 L. CA'TTU-PICINNA (Ser. mss. in D. C. prod. 3. p. 303.) 

 stem tetragonal ; leaves cordate, roundish, somewhat 5-lobed, 

 angular ; sepals broadly ovate, acuminated ; fruit oblong-ellip- 

 tic, mucronate, lined with warts, and crowned by the calycine 

 segments ; seeds ovate. O- F. Native of Malabar. Cattu- 

 picinna, Rheed. mal. 8. p. 15. t. 8. Leaves nearly the size and 

 form of those of Althce"a rbsea. Male flowers size of those of 

 Pcebnla tenuijolia. 



Cattu-pmnna Luffa. PI. tr. 



6 L. jEcYPiiACA (Mill, diet.) leaves roundish-cordate, lobed ; 

 lobes angular, cut at the base, with incumbent margins ; tendrils 

 simple ; fruit obovate-clavate, 10-angled, crowned by the seg- 

 ments of the calyx. O- !" Native of Arabia. Momordica 

 Luffa, Lin. spec. 1433. L. Arabum, Alp. pi. aegypt. p. 199. t. 

 58 Mor. hist. 2. p. 35. sect. 1. t. 7. f. 1, 2. Sabb. hort. 1. 

 t. 62. The Arabians call the plant Liffor Louff '; they cultivate 

 it, and it climbs up the palm-trees, covering, and elegantly 

 adorning their trunks. It is also cultivated largely in China 

 and Cochin-china, if Loureiro's plant be the same (Coch. p. 

 590.). The fruit when young is made into a pickle, like the 

 mango, but it has a disagreeable taste, and is not accounted very 

 wholesome. 



Egyptian Luffa. Fl. June, Oct. Clt. 1739. PI. cl. 



7 L. PE'TOLA (Ser. mss. in D. C. prod. 3. p. 303.) stems 

 terete ; leaves cordate, 5-7-lobed ; lobes acute, serrated, middle 

 one very long ; tendrils bifid ; segments of the calyx oblong and 

 bluntish ; petals obcordate, toothed, shorter than the calycine 

 segments ; fruit obovate-clavate, mucronate, woolly, afterwards 

 furrowed, green, spotted with white, with watery flesh. Q. F. 

 Native of the East Indies. Petola, Rumph. amb. 5. p. 405. 

 t. 147. 



Petola Luffa. PI. tr. 



8 L. PENTA'NDRA (Wall. cat. no. 6751.) leaves cordate, downy, 

 5-7-lobed, mucronately denticulated : middle lobe the longest; 

 female peduncles 1 -flowered, solitary : male ones umbellate ? Q. 

 F. Native of the East Indies, in Rungpur and Munggeri. 



Pentandrous Luffa. PI. tr. 



9 L. GRAVE V OLENS (Roxb. ex Wall. cat. no. 6752.) downy; 

 leaves cordate, obsoletely lobed, and mucronately denticulated ; 

 flowers axillary, 2-4-together, on very short peduncles ; fruit 

 muricated. 0. F. Native of the East Indies, in Munikapur. 



Strong-scented Luffa. PI. tr. 



10 L. AMA'RA (Wall. cat. no. 6754.) scabrous ; leaves cordate, 

 5-7-lobed, middle lobe the longest, all acute ; female peduncles 

 1 -flowered, solitary: male ones racemose; fruit long, downy. 

 . F. Native of the East Indies, in Rungpur and Gualpara. 



Bitter Luffa. PI. tr. 



11 L. HEDERA'CEA (Wall. cat. no. 6755.) leaves cordate, pal- 

 mately 5-lobed, mucronately denticulated ; female peduncles 

 1-flowered, solitary : male ones racemose ; fruit oblong. . F. 

 Native of the Burman Empire, at Amherst, and below Melloon. 



Ivy-like Luffa. PI. tr. 



12 L. ECHINA'TA (Roxb. ex Wall. cat. no. 6756.) scabrous ; 

 leaves cordate, 5-lobed ; lobes rounded, mucronately denticu- 

 lated ; female peduncles 1-flowered, solitary; male ones um- 

 bellately racemose ; fruit roundish, echinated by spines. . F. 

 Native of the East Indies, in Bandil, Deyra, and Dhoon. 



Echinated-frmted Luffa. PI. tr. 



13 L. SATPA'TIA (Hamilt. ex Wall. cat. no. 6757.) scabrous; 

 leaves cordate, angularly toothed; peduncles racemose. . F. 

 Native of the East Indies, in Nathpur, where it is called Sat- 

 patia. 



Satpatia Luffa. PI. tr. 



14 L. PA'RVULA (Hamilt. ex Wall. cat. no. 6758.) roughish ; 

 leaves 5-7-lobed ; lobes acuminated, mucronately denticulated ; 

 female peduncles 1-flowered, solitary ; fruit long, downy when 

 young. . H. Native of the East Indies, in Puraniya. 



Small Luffa. PI. tr. 



Cult. Sow the seeds in a hot-bed, and afterwards treat the 

 plants as recommended for ridging out cucumbers. 



VI. BENINCA^SA (in honour of Count Benincasa, an Ita- 

 lian nobleman). Savi, mem. cucurb. 1818. p. 6. with a figure. 

 Delile, mem. acad. sc. par. 1824. 7. p. 395. D. C. prod. 3. 

 p. 303. 



LIN. SYST. Polygamia, Monoecia. Flowers polygamous, 

 monoecious, solitary, yellow. Segments of the calyx short, 

 broad, with undulated, toothed margins. Stamens in 3 bundles 

 in the male flowers, divaricate. Petals obovate-roundish, curled, 

 and undulated ; anthers very irregular, with distant convolutions. 

 Female flowers with the stamens as in the males, but usually 

 nearly abortive. Stigmas very thick and irregular. Seeds with 

 thickish margins. 



1 B. CERIFERA (Savi, 1. c.) plant very hairy, with a musky 

 scent ; leaves cordate, somewhat 5-lobed ; lobes acutish and 

 crenated ; tendrils simple ; fruit ovate-cylindrical, woolly, pen- 

 dulous, green. . F. Native of the East Indies. Cucurbita 

 cerifera, Fisch. cat. hort. Gorenk. ex Savi, 1. c. B. cylindrica, 

 Hortul. Cumbulam, Rheed. mal. 8. p. 5. t. 3. The fruit is 

 either short or long, but always covered with numerous fragile 

 hairs, and clothed with glaucous, glittering bloom. Flowers 

 sometimes hermaphrodite. 



Wax-bearing Benincasa. Fl. May, Jul. Clt. 1827. PI. tr. 



Cult. Sow the seeds on a hot-bed in spring ; and afterwards 

 treat the plants as in ridging out cucumbers. 



VII. ERYTHROPA'LUM (from epvBpof, erythros, red, and 

 TraXoc, palos, a shaking ; application not evident). Blum, bijdr. 

 p. 921. D. C. prod. 3. p. 303. 



LIN. SYST. Monoecia, Pentdndria. Flowers monoecious, 

 perhaps only from abortion. Limb of calyx obsoletely 5- 

 toothed. Petals 5, ovate, alternating with the teeth of the 



