CUCUMBER FAMILY. 747 



ECBALITJM A. Rich. Diet. Class. Hist. Nat. 619. 1824. 



One species, Mediterranean Europe. 



Bcbalium elaterium (L.) A. Rich. Diet. Class. Hisb. Nat. 619. 1824. 



COMMON SQUIRTING CUCUMBER. 

 Momordica elaterium L. Sp. PI. ed. 2, 2 : 1434. 1763. 

 Fugitive on ballast. Mobile County, May, 1883. Annual. 

 Economic uses: The fruit is used medicinally for Elaterium. 

 Type locality: " Hab. in Europa australi." 

 Herb. Geol. Surv. Herb. Mohr. 



MOMORDICA L. Sp. PL 2 : 1009. 1753. 



Twenty-five species, tropical Asia and Africa. 

 Momordica charantia L. Sp. PI. 2 : 1009. BALSAM PEAR. 



Tropical Asia, naturalized in warmer America. 



ADVENTIVE FROM THE TROPICS. 



Louisiauian area. Georgia and Florida. 



ALABAMA: Ballast ground, waste places near the shipping. Flowers yellow; 

 August to October. Fruit copper-red, seed coat crimson. Frequent on every bal- 

 last heap, spreading to waste places in the vicinity. First collected in 1887. 

 Annual. 



Type locality : ''Hah. in India." 



Herb. Geol. Surv. Herb. Mohr. 



L AGENARIA Seringe, Mem. Soc. Phil. Genev. ser. 3, 1 : 25. 1825. 

 Half dozen species, tropical Asia and Africa. 



Lagenaria vulgaris (L.) Seringe, Mem. Soc. Phil. Genev. ser. 3, 1 : 25. 1825. 



COMMON GOURD CALABASH. 



Cucurbita lagenaria L. Sp. PI. ed. 2, 2 : 1434. 1763. 



Ell. Sk. 2:662. Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. A. 1:545. 1841. Conlter, Contr. Nat. Herb. 

 2 : 123. 



Subtropical and tropical regions of the Old World. Extensively naturalized in the 

 New World. 



Carolinian and Louisianian areas. Regarded as introduced and naturalized in the 

 South Atlantic and Gulf States, although cultivated by the aborigines at the arrival 

 of the earliest settlers. 



ALABAMA: In the lower country, near dwellings, borders of pastures and fields. 

 Flowers white ; throughout the summer. Fruit ripe September to November. Not 

 infrequent. A rank coarse climber. Perennial. 



Ecomonic uses: The matured ligneous fruit, for vessels and various utensils. 



Type locality: "Hab. in Ameri.cae riguis." 



Herb. Geol. Surv. 



TRIANOSPERMA Mart. Syst. Mat. Med. Bras. 79. 1843. 

 Eight or 9 species, warmer America. 



Trianosparma boykinii (Torr. & Gray) Roem. Syn. Pepon. 2 : 45. 1846. 



BOYKIN'S BRYONY. 



Bryonia boykinii Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. A. 1 : 540. 1840. 



Cayaponia boykinii Cognianx in DC. Monogr. Phan. 3 : 746. 1881. 



Chap. Fl. 148. 



Louisianian area. Georgia to Louisiana and Arkansas. 



ALABAMA: Central Prairie region. Low shaded banks. Wilcox County (S. B. 

 Buckley, 1840). Flowers greenish white; June, July. Fruit ripe August; red. Very 

 rare. Perennial herb from a fusiform root, climbing over bushes. 



Type locality: "Low ground along streams, Georgia, Dr. Boykin! Alabama, Mr. 

 Buckley! Louisiana, Dr. Carpenter! Dr. Hale!" 



Herb, Geol. Surv. 



MELOTHRIA L. Sp. PI. 1 : 35. 1753. 



Sixty species, warmer regions, Asia, America. North America, 2. 

 Melothria pendula L. Sp. PI. 1 : 35. 1753. 



Ell. Sk. 2 : 662. Gray, Man. ed. 6, 196. Chap. Fl. 149. Coulter, Contr. Nat. Herb. 

 2 : 124. 



