310 CUCURBIT ALES. [Diclinous Exogfxs. 



Alliance XXIV. CUCURBIT ALES.— The Cucorbital Alliance. 



Diagnosis. — Diclinous Exogens, with monodlchlamydeous flowers, inferior fruit, "parietal 

 placenta and embryo without a trace of albumen. 



The plants of this Alliance differ from all others in their diclinous flowers, combined 

 with an inferior ovary, whose placentae are more or less manifestly parietal. They ap- 

 proach Menispermads in their scrambling habit, and Passiouworts in their placentation. 

 In the greater part the stigmas are horseshoe-shaped. They differ from Papayals in 

 their inferior ovary and exalbuminous seeds, and from the scrambling genera of Euphor- 

 bials in the same circumstances. 



Natural Orders of Cucurbitals. 



Fruit pulpy. Placenta strictly parietal. Monopetalous . . . . 105. Cucurbitace-e. 



Fruit dry. Placenta? strictly parietal. Apetalous 106. Datiscace^e. 



Fruit dry. Placentae projecting and meeting in the axis. Mono-} 1A _ T , 



dlcklakydeow ........ 7 } 10,. Bbgonuce*. 



