GOURD FAMILY 



CUCURBITACEAE 



ONE-SEEDED BUR CUCUMBER 



Sicyos angulatus L. 



The Gourd family consists mostly of annual climbing herbs 

 with branched tendrils, and is largely tropical or subtropical. 

 Many of its members are cultivated here, among which are 



Squash, Summer Squash, 

 Pumpkin, Cucumber, 

 Watermelon, Muskmelon, 

 Citron and Gourd. The 

 three members native in 

 Illinois are given here. 



This vine is found in 

 moist places, especially 

 along river banks, from 

 Quebec to Ontario and 

 South Dakota, south to 

 Florida and Texas. Some- 

 times it is called Nimble 

 Kate, probably because of 

 its agility in climbing over 

 other plants. 



The stem is angled and 

 somewhat sticky with glandular hairs. It climbs to a height of 

 15-25 feet, or is sometimes low trailing. The leaves, sometimes as 

 much as 10 inches across, are rather thin and rough above and 

 below. 



The blooming season is April to September. The flowers are 

 imperfect and the plants monoecious. The staminate flowers are 

 produced in a loose raceme on a long peduncle in the axil bi a 

 leaf. The calyx is cup shaped and 5-toothed. The white or green- 

 ish white corolla is wheel shaped and 5-parted nearly to the base. 

 The 3 stamens have their filaments united into a short tube and 

 the anthers are also somewhat united. 



The pistillate flowers are borne, several together, in a headlike 

 cluster at the end of a peduncle, often in the same axil as the 

 staminate cluster. The flower parts are above the ovary. The style 

 is short and slender, and there are usually 3 stigmas. The i-seeded 

 fruit is dry, yellowish, somewhat hairy and covered with slender 

 rough spines which are easily detached. 



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