42 



CUCURBITACEiE. XVIII. CUCURBITA. XIX. INVOLUCRARIA. XX. MURICIA. XXI. ANGURIA. 



17 C. MAMMEA'TA (Molina, 1. c.) leaves many-parted; fruit 

 spherical, beset with protuberances. O- F. Native of Chili. 



Teated Gourd. PI. tr. 



18 C. LIGNOSA (Mill, diet.) leaves rough, lobed ; fruit woody. 

 0.F. Native of South America. This is a large gourd, and 

 is cultivated for the sake of the shell of the fruit, which will 

 frequently contain between 2 and 3 quarts. Where aloes is 

 manufactured in any quantity, it is commonly preserved in these 

 shells ; but in Jamaica they are used to hold water, and small 

 grain. 



HWy-fruited Gourd. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. ? PL tr. 



19 C. MULTIFLORA (Forst. ex Spreng. syst. 5. p. 45.) leaves 

 broadly cordate, 3-lobed, acute, denticulated, glabrous ; flowers 

 minute, crowded in cymes. Q. F. Native of the Society 

 Islands. 



Many-flowered Gourd. PI. tr. 



Cult. The species of Cucurbila are propagated from seeds, 

 which are large, and require to be covered nearly an inch. Sow 

 in April in a hot-bed, under a frame or hand-glass, to raise plants 

 for transferring to the open garden at the end of May, under a 

 warm aspect, or for planting out in the middle of May on a 

 trench of hot dung under a hand-glass or half shelter ; other- 

 wise sow at the beginning of May, under a hand-glass, without 

 bottom heat, for transplanting into a favorable situation ; or sow 

 3 weeks later (after the 20th) at once in the open garden, under 

 a south wall, for the plants to remain. The smaller fruited kinds 

 do best trained to an upright pole or trellis. From time to time 

 earth up the stems of the plants. As the shoots extend 5 feet 

 or more, peg down at a joint, and they will take root. Water 

 copiously whenever warm weather without showers makes the 

 ground arid. Mr. Gray (Gard. mag. vol. 1. p. 150.) plants in 

 paths between asparagus beds, and lets the vines of the gourds 

 run over them ; and he considers that their large leaves do good 

 to the asparagus roots, by protecting them from the sun, while 

 the tall stems of the asparagus afford a shelter to the leaves of 

 the gourds. In very dry seasons they are an excellent substi- 

 tute for cabbages and turnips, when the drought is apt to burn 

 up these vegetables. Mr. Gray therefore recommends, espe- 

 cially where the soil is liable to be burnt up in summer, planting 

 the vegetable marrow and other cucurbitaceous plants as a re- 

 serve crop. The tender tops of all the edible species of Cucur- 

 bitdcece, boiled as greens or spinage, are a fully more delicate 

 vegetable than the fruit. It must be worth something to gar- 

 deners and cooks to know that either or both may be used for 

 this purpose when scarcely any thing else can be got. 



XIX. INVOLUCRA'RIA (involucrum, an involucre ; in refer- 

 ence to the umbels of male flowers being involucrated by brae- 

 teas). Ser. diss. in mem. soc. hist. nat. gen.' vol. 3. pt. 2. D.C. 

 prod. 3. p. 318. 



LIN. SYST. Monoecia, Monadelphia. Flowers monoecious. 

 Male flowers umbellate, sessile, involucrated by reniform brae- 

 teas, which are dentately fringed at the apex ; common peduncle 

 very long, furnished each with an oblong bractea at the base. 

 Alabastra nearly like those of the rose. Tube of calyx obco- 

 nical ; limb with acute linear sepals. Corolla, stamens, and 

 filaments unknown. Anthers joined, with the cells as in the 

 rest of the Cucurbitacece. Female flowers solitary on long pedun- 

 cles, rising from the same axillae as the males, as well as of the 

 same form. 



1 I. WALLICHIA'NA (Ser. 1. c. t. 4.) leaves deeply 5-lobed, 

 cut, scabrous ; lobes obovate-oblong, coarsely toothed ; tendrils 

 quinquefid. O-?F. Native of Nipaul. 



Wallich's Involucraria. PI. cl. 



Cult. See Cucurbita for culture and propagation. 



XX. MURI'CIA (from muricatus, muricated ; in reference to 

 the warted berries). Lour. coch. p. 596. D. C. prod. 3. p. 318. 



LIN. SYST. Monoecia, Monadelphia. Flowers monoecious. 

 Calyx of .5 sepals, inclosed in a large, undivided, 1-flowered 

 sheath ; sepals subulate, striated, coloured, joined together at 

 the base. Corolla campanulate ; petals 5, ovate-lanceolate, 

 nerved. Stamens 5, in 3 bundles, and with the anthers con- 

 nected at the apex. Style 1 ; stigmas 3, sagittate, horizontal. 

 Berry muricated, 1-celled, many-seeded. Seeds orbicular, 

 large, reticulated, with tubercular margins. 



1 M. COCHINCHINE'NSIS (Lour. 1. c. p. 596.) a large shrub, 

 with 5-lobed leaves, the 3 superior lobes acuminated, and the in- 

 ferior ones obtuse, short, and denticulated ; flowers yellow, soli- 

 tary, on long peduncles ; fruit reddish purple both inside and 

 outside, scentless. Jj . G. Native of Cochin-china and China. 

 Momordica Cochinchinensis, Spreng. syst. 3. p. 14. The seeds 

 and leaves are aperient and abstergent. 



Cochin-china Muricia. Shrub. 



Cult. A mixture of peat and sand will answer this shrub; 

 and cuttings will root in the same kind of soil. 



XXI. ANGU'RIA (one of the Greek names for the cucum- 

 ber, from ayyoc, angos, a vessel ; shape of fruit). Lin. gen. no. 

 399. Juss. gen. p. 395. Lam. ill. t. 747. D. C. prod. 3. p. 

 318. Momordica spec, of authors. Psiguria, Neck. elem. bot. 

 no. 384. 



LIN. SYST. Monoecia, Didndria. Flowers monoecious. Male 

 flowers. Calyx campanulate, 5-toothed. Corolla joined to the 

 calyx, ventricose, red, with a 5-parted spreading border. Sta- 

 mens 2, opposite. Female flowers with a calyx and corolla, as 

 in the males. Stamens 2, sterile. Style semi-bifid ; stigmas 

 bifid. Fruit 2-4-celled, many-seeded, somewhat tetragonal 

 Seeds unknown. Roots thick, warted. 



1 A. INTEGRIFOLIA (Nees et Mart, in nov. act. bonn. 12. p. 

 9.) leaves ovate, denticulated, 3-nerved, glabrous ; peduncles 

 4-6-flowered, bractless ; female flowers unknown. Native of 

 Brazil, at the river Ilheos. Flowers red. 



Intire-leaved Anguria. PI. cl. 



2 A. TRILOBA'TA (Lin. spec. 1376.) root bitter ; stems slender; 

 leaves deeply 3-lobed, or somewhat 5-lobed, veiny ; lobes a 

 little toothed ; tendrils simple ; male flowers large, in racemes, 

 female ones solitary, almost sessile ; fruit ovate-oblong, umbili- 

 cate, green, spotted with white ; seeds oblong, fulvous. ^. W .S. 

 Native of Martinico. Plum. ed. Burm. pi. amer. t. 22. Jacq. 

 amer. p. 243. t. 156. ed. pict. p. 119. t. 234. Flowers vermi- 

 lion coloured. 



Three-lobed-leaved Anguria. Fl. Ju.Jul. Clt. 1793. Pl.cl. 



3 A. PEDATISE'CTA (Nees et Mart, in nov. act. bonn. 12. 

 p. 10.) leaves pedately 5-parted ; lobes quite entire ; tendrils 

 subumbellate ; corymbs many-flowered ; flowers triandrous ? 

 fruit oblong, striated, attenuated both at the base and apex ; pulp 

 white, spongy, rather acid : aril black. \j< F. Native of 

 Peru. Momordica pedisecta, Lin. spec. 1434. Lam. diet. 4. 

 p. 241. Feuill. per. 1. p. 754. t. 41. Flowers white. Two 

 outer segments of leaves lobed. The Peruvians use the fruit in 

 soups. 



Pedate-cut-\eaved Anguria. PI. cl. 



4 A. PEDA'TA (Lin. spec. p. 1376.) stems slender, terete; 

 leaves pedately 5-parted ; lobes lanceolate, toothed ; tendrils 

 longer than the leaves ; flowers inodorous, male ones in ra- 

 cemes ; racemes on long peduncles ; female ones solitary ; fruit 

 oval-oblong, green, variegated with white. If.. w . S. Native 

 of St. Domingo. Jacq. amer. 242. t. 155. ed. pict. t. 233. 

 Plum. ed. Burm. pi. amer. 23. ? Flowers with orange- coloured 

 petals. 



Pedate-leaved. Anguria. Fl. Ju. Jul. Clt. 1820. Pl.cl. 

 8 



