GROUP V. ANGIOSPERM.E ; DICOTYLEDOXES. 



551 



ovary usually trimerous and unilocular ; ovules numerous, on 

 parietal placentae. 



Order 1. CUCURBITACEJE. Flowers diclinous -or polygamous, 

 often irregular : corolla of five petals, often gamopetalous : stamens 

 epipetalous, five, but they frequently cohere, either in pairs, so 

 that there appear to be but three (Fig. 363, diagram), or all com- 

 pletely into a single continuous ring (Cyclanthera) ; the anthers 

 are commonly long and sinuous : ovary inferior, unilocular, becom- 

 ing spuriously multilocular, with one or (more often) many ovules ; 

 it is, however, often described as multilocular (usually 3) with 

 projecting axile placentas : 

 fruit baccate, a pepo or a 

 succulent berry (p. 476), 

 often of great size, with a 

 relatively thick and solid 

 pericarp : seed without 

 endosperm. Herbs with 

 scattered leaves, mostly 

 climbers, with tendrils 

 growing by the side of the 

 leaves. 



There is considerable dif- 

 ference of opinion as to the 

 morphological nature of the 

 tendril in this order, but it 

 appears to be essentially a 

 leaf, in fact the first leaf of 

 the flowering-shoot which 

 arises in the axil of the re- 

 lated foliage-leaf : the vegeta- 

 tive branch, which is always 

 developed by the side of the 

 flowering - shoot, seems to 

 spring from the axil of the 

 tendril. The tendril often bears a number of branches at its distal end, but 

 whether simple or branched, its structure shows that the proximal portion 

 corresponds in structure to a petiole, whilst the distal irritable portion 

 (including the branches) has a bilateral structure which suggests corre- 

 spondence with a lamina. 



Cm-urbita Pejx> is the Pumpkin : the genus Cucumis has free stamens ; 

 Cucumis sativa is the Cucumber, and Cucumis Melo is the Melon: Cilrullus 

 vuifjaris is the Water Melon. The genus Bryonia has a small white 

 corolla : the loculi of the ovary are 2-seeded, and the fruit is a succulent 

 berry ; B. dioica is common in shrubberies and hedges. 



FIG. 363. A Longitudinal section of $ flower of 

 Cucumis: /ovary; sfc ovules ; t calyx ; C corolla; 

 n stigma ; st' rudimentary stamens. B Longitudi- 

 nal section of <J flower; st stamens ; n' rudimentary 

 ovary ; the corolla (c) is not alt shown (somewhat 

 mag.). Floral diagram of Cncurbita. 



