ig4 CUCUMBER. 



ing in the forcing houses at Syon.* The fruit is long, 

 perfectly smooth, and the leaves extremely large (18 

 inches across) ; they are grown in boxes placed over the 

 back flue of the pine-pits, and the shoots trained under 

 the glass over the pits. Mr. Forrest [gardener] has 

 gathered fruit daily since October last, and will continue 

 to do so, if he chooses, all the year round." In his 

 first edition of Plantes Potageres, Vilmorin says that 

 the Sion House was raised from the White cucumber, 

 but he omits the statement in the second edition ; and 

 I am unable to find any confirmation of it. 



From this comparatively recent beginning the Eng- 

 ligh cucumbers have diverged widely from their parents. 

 In all the following characters they differ, as a rule, 

 from common cucumbers. The fruits (and ovaries) are 

 very long and slender, cylindrical (not ridged or fur- 

 rowed), spineless or nearly so at maturity, remain bright 

 green until full maturity, and seeds are produced spar- 

 ingly ; the flowers are very large ; the vines are very 

 vigorous and long, with long and thick tendrils; and 

 the leaves are very broad in proportion to their length, 

 and the full grown ones appear to have a tendency to 

 make shallower sinuses or angles than do the field kinds. 

 But the most remarkable peculiarity is the habit of pro- 

 ducing seedless fruits, which is discussed farther on. 



In 1859, Naudinf grouped all cultivated cucumbers 

 under four divisions : Small Russian, Common Long, 

 White, and Sikkim (later described by Sir J. I). Hooker 

 as Cucumis sativus var. Sikkimensis). Recently Sturte- 

 vant.J omitting the Sikkim cucumber, has grouped them 

 under six heads: Common cucumbers; "a second form, 

 very near to the above, but longer, less rounding, and 

 more prickly;" "smooth and medium-long cucumbers ;" 

 English or forcing kinds; white; Russian. I am not 



*Sion appears to be the later and preferable spelling. 

 tAnn. Sci. Nat. Bot. 4 th Ser. xi. 28. 

 tAmer. Nat. 1887, 908. 



