272 



SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



climbing, with tendrils ; leaves alternate ; flowers dioecious or 

 monoecious ; the flower-tube adherent to the 1-3-celled ovary ; 

 corolla usually gamopetalous ; and the 3-5 stamens commonly 

 more or less united by their often sinuous anthers as well as by 

 their filaments. Fruit a pepo, or, more rarely, a succulent berry. 

 Placentas confluent in the axis ; perisperm none. 



Character. 



Thalamus flat or concave, adherent to the ovary. Calyx adherent 

 in the female flowers, 5-toothed, sometimes without a limb. 

 Corolla of distinct valvale petals, or 4-5-parted, sometimes 

 fringed ; springing from the calyx, and with the lobes alternating 

 with those of the calyx, tf . Stamens 5, springing from the 

 corolla and alternate with its segments, more rarely 3 or 2, some- 

 times free, monadelphous, or more frequently triadelphous, with 

 2 pairs and 1 odd one ; anthers 2-celIed, usually long and sinuous, 

 or bent upon themselves laterally (fig. 383), sometimes straight, 



Fig. 382. 



Fig. 383. 



Fig. 384. 



Fig. 382. Female flower of Cucurbifa. 



Fig. 383. Staminal column of male flower of Gourd. 



Fig. 384. Section of the fruit of the Cucumber. 



free, or combined. . Ovary inferior (fig. 382), 3-celled ; usually 

 with 3 placentas placed parietally, but on the involute margins 

 of the carpels so as to meet in the centre (fig. 384), sometimes 

 with 2 placentas and 2 erect o\ 7 ules, or 1-celled with a solitary 

 pendulous ovule : style short ; stigmas thickened, papillose, lobed 

 or fringed. Fruit more or less succulent ; a pepo with a firm 

 rind, or a juicy berry with a thin skin ; seeds mostly flattened, 

 with a succulent or membranous coat over the leathery or horny 

 testa, which presents a marginal ring or keel ; embryo flat, with- 

 out perisperm. 



