210 MENTZELIA ORDER 



1. Flowers 1-2 cm. wide; petals 5, yellow 



a. Leaves sessile, ovate to lance-linear, entire to 



sometimes pinnatifid M. albicaulis 



b. Leaves with a distinct short petiole, ovate to 



oblong, toothed or angled M. oligosperma 



2. Flowers 1-5 ; n. wide; petals usually 10, cream- 



colored 01 yellow 



a. Flowers c .cam-colored, opening at evening and 



closing in the morning 



(1) Flowers 1.5-2.5 in. wide M.nuda 



(2) Flowers 3-5 in. wide M. orndta 



b. Flowers yellow or golden 



(1) Flowers 1-2 in. wide, usually opening in 



the evening M. mult-Mora 



(2) Flowers 2.5-5 in. wide, day-blooming M. lemcaulis 



CUCURBITACEAE GOURD FAMILY 



Sepals usually 5, united and grown to the ovary, petals usually 5, 

 separate or united, stamens usually 3, ovary 1-3-celled, style simple or 

 lobed, fruit a pepo, splitting or non-splitting ; flowers solitary or in racemes, 

 monoecious or dioecious ; climbing or trailing herbaceous vines with alter- 

 nate lobed leaves. 



1. Flowers solitary, yellow; trailing vine CUCURBITA 



2. Flowers in a raceme, greenish-white ; climbing or 



clambering MICRAMPELIS 



CUCURBITA Linne 1753 WILD PUMPKIN 



(The Latin name of the gourd) 



Sepals 5, united into a bell-shaped calyx, petals 5, yellow, united, 

 stamen flower with 3 stamens, pistil flower with a 1 -celled ovary, stigmas 

 3-5, sterile stamens 3, fruit a pepo with a thick rind ; flowers single, axillary, 

 monoecious ; leaves lobed, toothed ; stems prostrate, tendril-bearing. 

 Stems 5-20 ft. long; leaves 4-12 in. long; flowers 2-4 



in. long C. foetidissima 



MICRAMPELIS Rafinesque 1808 WILD CUCUMBER 



(Gr. mikros, small, ampelis, vine) 



Sepals 5-6, united into a bell-shaped calyx, petals 5-6, white, united, 

 stamen flower with 3 stamens, pistil flower with a 2-celled ovary, fruit more 

 or less bladdery, 1-2-celled, densely spiny ; flowers in racemes, monoecious ; 

 leaves digitately 3-7-lobed; annual climber with tendrils. 

 Stems 10-25 ft. high ; leaves 2-5 in. long ; fruit flat el- 

 liptic, 1.5-2 in. long M.lobdta 



