ORDER 58. CUCURBITACE^l 365 



M. pndula L. Lvs. roundish, cordate, 5-lobed or angled, pointed, slightly hispid ; 

 fls. axillary, the sterile in small racemes, the fertile solitary, on long peduncles. 

 N. Y. to Ga. and La. A delicately slender vine, climbing over other plants. 

 Lvs. small (1 to 2' diam.) Fls. small, yellowish. Sty. short, surrounded by a 

 cup-shaped disk. Fr. small, oval. Jl. 



6. CUCUR'BITA, L. SQUASH. (A Latin word, signifying a vessel ; 

 from the form of the fruit.) Fls. 8 . Corolla campanulate ; petals 

 united and coherent with the calyx, t Calyx 5-toothed ; stamens 5, 

 triadelphous, anthers syngenecious, straight, parallel. ? Calyx 5- 

 toothed, upper part deciduous after flowering ; stigmas 3, thick, 2-lobed ; 

 pepo fleshy or ligneous, 3 to 5-celled ; seeds thickened at margin, obo- 

 vate, compressed, smooth. Fls. mostly yellow. 



1 C. pepo L. PUMPKIN. Hispid and scabrous; st. procumbent; tendrils 

 branched ; Ivs. (very large) cordate, palmately 5-lobed or angled, denticulate ; fls. 

 axillary, long- pedunculate ; fr. very large, roundish or oblong, smoothf, furrowed 

 and torulous. CD Fields. Long cultivated as a useful kitchen vegetable or for 

 cattle. Fls. large, yellow. Fr. sometimes 3f diam., yellow when mature, yield- 

 ing sugar abundantly. Jl. \ Levant. 



2 C. Melopepo L. FLAT SQUASH. Hairy ; st. procumbent, with branched 

 tendrils ; Ivs. cordate, palmately somewhat 5-lobed, denticulate ; fls. pedunculate ; 

 fr. depressed-orbicular, the margin mostly torulous or tumid, smooth or warty. 

 Gardens. Cultivated for its fruit, a well known kitchen vegetable. There are 

 many varieties in respect to the fruit. \ Nativity ? 



3 C. verrucosa L. WARTED SQUASH. CROOK-NECK SQUASH, &c. Hairy, 

 procumbent, Ivs. cordate, palmately and deeply 5-lobed, denticulate, terminal 

 lobe narrowed at base ; fls. pedunculate, large ; fr. roundish elliptic or ctavaU, 

 often elongated and incurved at base. Mentioned by Nuttall as long cultivated 

 by the Indians TV. of the Mississippi. Common in our gardens, with numerous 

 well known varieties of the fruit. Jl. \ 



7. CITRUL'LUS, Neck. WATERMELON. (Lat. citrus, an orange.) 

 Calyx deeply 5-cleft, segments linear-lanceolate; petals 5, united at 

 base and adnate to the bottom of the calyx ; stamens 5, triadelphous; 

 style trifid ; stigmas convex, reniform-cordate ; fruit subglobous, fleshy, 

 the succulent placenta filling the cell ; seeds colored, numerous, trun- 

 cate at base and obtuse on the margin. 



C. vulgaris Schrad. Hirsute; st. prostrate, slender; Ivs. somewhat 5-lobed, 

 the lobes obtusely siuuate-fnnnatifid, glaucSus beneath ; fls. solitary, pedunculate, 

 with a single bractjf fr. globous or oval, smooth, stellate-maculate. Extensively 

 cultivated for its well-known delicious, cooling fruit. Fl. Jn. Aug. FT. Aug., 

 Sept. A variety is the citron, a smaller fruit with thicker and firmer rind 

 $ India, Afr. 



8. CITCUMIS, L. CUCUMBER. (Celtic cuce, a hollow vessel?) 

 Flowers 8 or . Calyx tubular-campanulate, with subulate segments ; 

 corolla deeply 5-parted. $ Stamens 5, triadelphous. ? Style short ; 

 stigmas 3, thick, 2-lobed ; pepo fleshy, indehiscent ; seeds ovate, flat, 

 acute, and not margined at the edge. Creeping or climbing by ten- 

 drils. Fls. axillary, solitary, yellow. 



1 C. sativns L. CUCUMBER. St. prostrate, rough; tendrils simple; Ivs. 

 subcordate, broad as long, palmately 5-angled or lobed, lobes subentire, acute, 

 terminal one longest ; fr. oblong, obtusely prismatic, prickly, on a short peduncle. 

 (D First brought to England in 1573. It is now universally cultivated for the 

 table, either fresh or pickled. Gathered and eaten before maturity. Jn. Sept, 

 Many varieties. 



2 C. Melo L. MUSK MELON. St. prostrate, rough, tendrils simple; Iva. 

 subcordate, roundish, obtuse, palmately 5-angled, lobes rounded, obtuse, obscurely 



