2G8 OEIGIN OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 



naturalized. However, unable to find any similar 

 African plant, he adopted the general opinion. Sir 

 Joseph Hooker, on the contiary, is inclined to believe 

 that G. Aiigwria is a cultivated and modified form of 

 some African species nearly allied to G. prophetarum and 

 G. Figarei, although these are perennial. In favour of 

 this h3q:>othesis, I may add : (1) The name unaroon cu- 

 cumber, given in the French West India Islands, indicates 

 a plant which has become wild, for this is the meaning 

 of the word r^iaroon as applied to the negroes ; (2) its 

 extended area in America from Brazil to the West Indies, 

 always along the coast where the slave trade was most 

 brisk, seems to be a pi oof of foreign oriiiin. If the 

 species gi-ew in America previous to its discovery, it 

 would, with such an extensive habitat, have been also 

 found upon the west coast of America, and inland, which 

 is not the case. 



The question can only be solved by a more complete 

 knowledge of the African species of Gucumis, and by 

 experiments upon fertilization, if any have the patience 

 and abilit}'' necessary to do for the genus Cucumis what 

 Naudin has done for the genus Gucurbita. 



Lastly, I would point out the absurdity of a common 

 name for the Anoruria in the United States — Jerusalem 

 Gucumher} After this, is it possible to take popular 

 names as a o^uide in our search for oria^ins ? 



White Gourd-melon, or Benincasa — Benincasa hispida, 

 Thunberg ; Benincasa cerifera, Savi. 



This species, wdiich is the only one of the genus 

 Benincasa, is so like the pumpkins that early botanists 

 took it for one,^ in spite of the waxy efflorescence on the 

 surface of the fruit. It is very generally cultivated in 

 tropical countries. It was, perhaps, a mistake to aban- 

 don its cultivation in Europe after having tried it, for 

 Naudin and the Bon Jardinier both recommend it. 



It is the ciiinhalam of Rheede, the camolenga of 

 Rumphius, who had seen it cultivated in Malabar and 

 the Sunda Islands, and give illustrations of it. 



* Darlington, Agric. Bot., p. 58. 



* Cucurhita Pepo of Loureiro and Eosburgh. 



