340 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY 



Flowers unisexual, monoecious (both kinds on same 

 plant). Staminate flowers in clusters, ovary flowers 

 solitary in the axils of the leaves. Calyx-tube cam- 

 panulate, five-lobed, inserted on the calyx-tube. In 

 the staminate flowers stamens three, attached below 

 the mouth of the calyx-tube ; anthers three, one one- 

 celled, two two-celled, bent back on themselves ; fila- 

 ments produced in a crest. In the ovary flowers, the 

 ovary inferior with short style and three stigmas, one- 

 celled, with three parietal placentas. Fruit a berry 

 with leathery rind (pericarp) and very thick watery 

 placentas which form the edible part of the melon. 



The Cucumber is the fruit of a very similar species,. 

 C. SATIVUS. Other commonly cultivated or well-known 

 plants belonging to this family : 



CUCURBITA MAXIMA, Duch. is the Common gourd. 

 C. MUSCATA, Duch. the Musk melon and C. PEPO, L. 

 the Pumpkin. This genus differs from Cucumis in 

 the corolla tube being longer, about half of the whole 

 length of the flower. 



ClTRULUS COLOCYNTHIS, Schrad. the Water-melon 

 plant differs from CUCUMIS in the staminate flowers 

 being borne singly not several together in an axil, and 

 in the tendrils being branched. The leaves of this 

 species are much more deeply lobed. 



LUFFA ^EGYPTICA, Mill, has a very long narrow 

 fruit. The flowers differ from those of CUCUMIS and 

 ClTRULUS in the stamens being inserted nearer the 

 mouth of the calyx-tube and the anthers being less 

 closely connected. 



TRICHOSANTHES ANGUINA, L. the Snake gourd, has 

 fimbriate almost free petals. 



